In a special called meeting Wednesday night the Pine Bluff School Board voted unanimously to hold a special election on August 8 to ask voters for a mileage increase to build a new high school.
The board is asking for 6.0-mill tax increase for school construction and renovation.
Ray Beardsley, senior vice president, of First Security walked the school board through the process for a special election and a millage increase. This will be the first millage increase vote since the Dollarway School District merged with the Pine Bluff School District. Beardsley, a financial adviser for the district, said in February that a millage would be needed to generate enough funds toward a new high school construction project. The district was approved by the state in 2021 for a $24 million high school project. The Dollarway and Pine Bluff districts also needs to unify the current millage rates for both schools into a combined millage.
If passed by voters, the millage will help build a new state-of-the-art high school that will include new classrooms, a safe room, an arena and an auditorium on the grounds of the current high school. The school board is still developing plans with its architect. The proposed plans would place the front of the campus facing Olive Street instead of West 11th Avenue to make the high school’s entrance more prominent and safer.
Superintendent Jennifer Barbaree explained the detailed millage process after the meeting.
The mileage would be for the purpose for approval to issue bonds in the amount of $67,340,000. The bonds would amortized over 30 years with total approximate annual principal and interest payments at an assumed interest rate of 4.73%.
If the mileage was approved, the school district would have 36 months to spend the money on a new high school facility, which Barbaree said was desperately needed.
The board also voted to create a capital campaign with a committee comprised of community members, district staff and at least one board member.
On Monday, the school board met for a work session. Many community members including Pine Bluff Mayor Shirley Washington attended. Barbaree said the community is rallying around a new high school.
Having community input is vital to a school board especially when a mileage vote is needed to improve a school district. Barbaree explained how a school board needs to listen to community input before making an important decision like asking for a millage increase. That’s especially true, she said, considering the history of the Dollarway and Pine Bluff school districts.
