Voters in the Pine Bluff School District voted against a 41.7 mill-tax, which would have included a state uniform rate of 25 mills for general maintenance, 2 mills for school buses and facilities, and 14.7 mills for debt of service. Any surplus revenue from the debt of service millage could have be used for other school purposes had the millage passed, however, it failed to pass by a vote of 97-52.
The 41.7 mills would have represented a 0.9-mill increase to voters in the former Dollarway School District, which was annexed into the Pine Bluff district on July 1.
Had the millage passed it would not have changed the tax rate in the district.
Watson Chapel district voters voted in favor of its 34.1-mill tax, which includes 26.1 mills specifically for general maintenance and operation and 8 mills for debt service.
The current Watson Chapel millage rate was approved in May 2013 and is 3.9 mills fewer than the state average. This vote passed with 60 percent of voters voting in favor (3-2).
Additionally, Christopher Dutton will remain on the Watson Chapel School Board in the Zone 3 position.
A total of 153 voters turned out to vote on Tuesday.
