LITTLE ROCK — It has been just over a month since voters in Bryant defeated a proposal that would have raised property taxes by 6.2 mills to fund building improvements and additions in the burgeoning district.
While voters may have put the issue out of their heads after the Sept. 18th election, Bryant Superintendent Richard Abernathy has not.
The addition of more than 300 students from October 2006 to now is a constant reminder for him.
"It was our largest growth in over 20 years," he said. "Obviously we are going to have to start doing something without the millage increase.
"We are going to have to start dealing with it in the spring with the hiring of additional staff. We are out of classroom space. We are still looking at some options. We may have to put teachers on carts and have them go class-to-class orget portable buildings. I just don't know yet."
One thing that is certain for Abernathy is that the district won't ask for another millage increase in the spring.
"We are probably looking at doing that in the fall," he said. "We just have to get something our voters will approve."
In the meantime, Abernathy said the school board is still gathering more information.
"We have someone from the facilities division of the State Department of Education coming in," he said. "They have unlimited powers and can put you on the distress list if you are not up to standards. We are not to that point, and I don't expect to ever be. I know that the patrons of the district will do what needs to be done."
The failed 6.2-mill increase would have cost the owner of a $100,000 home, for example, an additional $124 a year. One televised report had the proposedincrease at $620 per $100,00 assessed value.
"There was a lot of misinformation out there," Abernathy said. "It was hard to combat all of that."
Abernathy said the district will work closely with the public in hopes of preventing the same thing happening the next time the proposal comes in front of the voters.
"I have contacted a group to do a phone survey," he said. "We are also considering either a public meeting or a small focus group, but we are still looking at options at this point."
He added that any public meetings would not happen until the spring. Whenever that is, the same committee that was formed to help get approval of the millage will be back to help out again.
"The committee is still up and going," said Rick Meyer, a Bryant alderman andmember of People for Bryant Public Schools. "We are just waiting on the school to figure out what they want to do next, but we will be here to help out again."
The current millage for theBryant district is 33.5 mills, which is the lowest in Class 7A (which includes central Arkansas school districts Conway, Little Rock, North Little Rock, Cabot and Pine Bluff) Abernathy said.
"Most of what we having coming in is going back to the state," he said of the current millage.
He added that the district is fine financially but is staring at a big problem down the road if something is not done.
"It comes down to what the community wants and needs from the district," Abernathy said. "We just want the information they get to be accurate so they can make the decision that is best for them."
Tri-Lakes, Pages 63, 66 on 10/25/2007