ROGERS -- Momentum appears to be building among School Board members to seek voters' approval of a tax increase this year to pay for new schools and some operational needs.
School District administrators provided additional information to the board at its meeting Tuesday regarding what they perceive to be the district's biggest needs and how much it would cost to address them.
Superintendent review
The Rogers School Board met in executive session for more than an hour Tuesday to review Superintendent Marlin Berry’s performance. The board later voted unanimously to renew Berry’s contract. That means Berry’s original three-year contract, which began in July, will be extended by one year to June 2020, according to Kristen Cobbs, board president.
Source: Staff report
The board made no decision on the matter, but Superintendent Marlin Berry reminded board members they'd need to commit by their Feb. 21 meeting if they want to hold a special election in May.
Enrollment at the elementary school level -- grades kindergarten through five -- has grown by 334 students since the start of the 2015-16 school year. A new elementary school is needed in the southwest part of the district, Berry said.
Jake Haak, chief financial officer, presented information related to two millage requests.
A plan to build two elementary schools and a middle school and provide for additional technology and security, along with other operational needs, would require 4.2 mills. That would provide the district nearly $7 million per year in additional revenue; the owner of a $200,000 home would pay $167 extra in taxes each year.
The second option Haak presented was the same as the first, except without the middle school. It would require 2.9 additional mills that would provide $4.9 million per year; the owner of a $200,000 home would pay $116 extra in taxes.
"I feel like we've brought forward a very affordable plan for our taxpayers," Haak said.
If voters approved the 4.2-mill increase, the district's millage rate would increase to 42.6. That would rank it 10th highest among the 15 school districts in Northwest Arkansas, Haak said. The district's rate of 38.4 ranks as the second lowest in the region.
The district has space for more than 400 additional students across its elementary schools based on current staffing, but 10 of the 15 elementary schools don't have any open classrooms, Berry said.
"We can bring back some classrooms and have art on a cart," Berry said, referring to the possibility of converting classrooms now used by specialty classes, such as art, into regular classrooms. Berry also raised the possibility of installing portable classrooms.
"I think there's no doubt we have a need for another elementary school," said Sterling Wilson, a board member.
The question is whether the district needs to ask for another middle school, Wilson said.
"I just don't know that we have enough data one way or another. You hate to get caught short. That's my only quandary. If you had a crystal ball you would know," Wilson said.
If the district graduates all current eighth-graders from each middle school and brings in current fifth-graders, the middle schools will see a combined enrollment increase of 27 students next school year. The following years would see increases of 76 students and 73 students. That's without any additional students moving in, Berry said.
Kristen Cobbs, board president, said after Tuesday's meeting she's convinced the district needs a millage increase. The only question is how much. The board will hold another study session on Feb. 17 to talk it over again, Cobbs said.
"We just want to make sure we do our homework and not be excessive in our request," she said.
NW News on 01/18/2017