VILONIA — Vilonia Superintendent David Stephens said the school district experienced a “slight decline” in enrollment last year, so he wants to see if that is a trend before asking the patrons for a property-tax increase to fund construction.
“We experienced a slight decline in enrollment — about 12 students — last year. I wanted to make sure that was an anomaly and not a trend before we committed to such a large project,” he said via email. He was serving on jury duty in Little Rock last week.
The school board had considered seeking a 3.8-mill property-tax increase in the September school election for a $13 million construction project, but it’s not off the table for the future.
“We’re considering going to the voters in September of 2017,” he said. “The amount is yet to be determined.”
Stephens said in an earlier interview that an overcrowded cafeteria — almost standing-room only — and the need for an auditorium were the reasons a millage increase was being considered.
The cafeteria seats 300; enrollment in grades 10 through 12 last year was 711, and two lunch periods are held.
Board President Randy Sanders said in an earlier interview that the proposed auditorium would seat 1,200 people and could be used districtwide for events and performances. The district now uses the high school gymnasium or cafeteria for events, because “that’s all we’ve got,” he said.
Stephens, who was hired in 2014 after longtime superintendent Frank Mitchell retired, said the board approved a resolution in 2013-14 to take the auditorium issue to the voters.
The plan that was discussed in the past few months was for a two-phase construction project, Stephens said. The district planned to construct a career and technology center a couple of years after the first building project.
Preliminary drawings for the project were presented in April to the board, and Little Rock architect Steve Elliott was ask to trim the design and make it as cost-friendly as possible.
In the end, the board decided not to commit to the project, though.
“We’ll continue to do the best we can to deal with issues regarding the crowded cafeteria,” Stephens said. He also said he still believes an auditorium is needed.
Stephens said he’s still looking at building a career and technology center in a couple of years.
“That is still a tentative plan, considering that we’ll have another year of assessment
under our belt to get a good idea of where we stand in that regard, as well as another year of student-enrollment information. We’ll review the original plan, continue to get stakeholder input and determine the next steps,” he said.
The superintendent said the only feedback he has received about postponing the property-tax proposal has been positive.
The current millage is 39.9. The most recent millage increase for the district was in 2011, when a 1-mill property-tax increase was approved by a 3-to-1 margin to fund construction of a $13 million intermediate school for grades four, five and six to ease overcrowding, and to build a safe room at the primary school. The Frank Mitchell Intermediate School was almost finished in 2014 when a tornado destroyed it. The school was rebuilt and opened in fall 2015.
Senior writer Tammy Keith can be reached at (501) 327-0370 or tkeith@arkansasonline.com.