The big push : Campaign for Bentonville millage vote is in high gear
Posted on Wednesday, March 5, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/bcdr/News/59440/
BENTONVILLE — Black and yellow election signs are starting to crop up all over Bentonville, but they don’t ask for support for a political candidate. They ask voters to help end overcrowding in Bentonville’s schools.
The signs are just part of a several-month-long millage campaign launched by Bentonville School District supporters. A big part of the millage campaign has simply been about getting information to school district patrons.
“ We’ve gotten the word out as much as we can, ” Superintendent Gary Compton said. “ We’ve spoken to all kinds of groups on the issue and presented the information. ”
The information provided by Compton and the district has asked patrons to get out and vote in the March 11 millage election but does not specifically ask that voters support the millage increase. Compton also said that all of the millage-campaign work has been off school district property and after school hours.
The biggest component of the campaign has been the calling tree. Each person on the millage committee was asked to call 10 people, and those people were asked to call 10 people. The phone calls were intended mostly to provide information and answer questions. Many of the millage-campaign-committee members were also on the 2020 Task Force, a group of community members who researched various issues regarding the school district and made recommendations to the board about what the district would need in the future.
“ People do have a lot of questions. I’m glad I was on the (Task Force ), ” said Susan Flint, a parent who has been making phone calls on behalf of the millage campaign.
Flint said she’s received a mostly positive response to the millage increase with the main hesitations being about the second high school. She said some people have not understood that the millage increase will go toward many things, not just the high school.
“ There’s something in there for everybody, things we desperately need, ” she said.
Shannon Llewellyn has had similar responses as she’s made phone calls for the millage campaign.
“ The few negatives that I’ve heard have revolved around having to split the high school, ” she said.
Llewellyn said another issue has been the amount of money being sought, but she reiterated that the $ 209 million is going toward a wide range of expenses — all necessary to the district.
“ In my heart of hearts, I don’t feel like we have an option, ” she said.
The special millage election will be Tuesday, March 11. The polls will be open from 7: 30 a. m. to 7: 30 p. m.
The issue The district is asking voters to approve a $ 209-million bond issue that will pay for several major projects, including land, renovations to current buildings and six new schools. It will also pay for technology upgrades and operational costs. The millage question will include not only an increase, but a restructuring of the district’s total millage package. With the restructuring of the district’s current debt, the board was able to reduce the amount it will ask voters to approve from 9 mills — the amount it will take to generate $ 209 million — to 3. 99 mills. Of the 3. 99-mill increase the district will seek, 2. 99 mills will pay for upgrades to existing facilities, a land purchase, a second high school, another junior high school, another middle school and three elementary schools. The additional 1 mill will go toward funding the district’s technology and operational costs. The district would need to start on three schools — one of the elementary schools, the middle school and the high school — no later than March 2009. The elementary and middle schools would open in 2010, and the high school would open in 2011. The high school would take nearly twice as long to construct as the other schools. The district would need to start construction on the junior high school in 2010 to complete it by 2011. The other two elementary schools would be started in 2011 and 2013, with opening dates of 2012 and 2014, respectively.