Voters approve millage increases in 2 school districts

Residents in the Hot Springs School District, as well as those in the Sheridan School District, approved millage increases in Tuesday’s statewide school elections.

School board members were elected as well in these two districts, both located in the Tri-Lakes Edition coverage area.

Following is a brief look at the election results.

HOT SPRINGS

Residents of the Hot Springs School District narrowly approved a 4.4-mill increase from 37.7 mills to 42.1 mills and an extension of current 10.8 debt-service mills; all 15.2 mills will extend to 2046.

Unofficial results on Wednesday showed 1,087 for the millage increase and 1,041 against the increase.

“We are very pleased in the results of the millage election and are very proud of the parents, students, staff, community members and businesses who supported this effort,” Hot Springs School District Superintendent Mike Hernandez said. “I know that the Hot Springs community values students and their education. Fortunately, this was expressed at the polls.

“We are thankful for each and every individual who worked to get the word out and voted to approve the millage. We appreciate their investment in our children, in their future. The Hot Springs School District will continue to provide the best educational opportunities possible for the children of our district. The district will begin the process of making the facilities upgrades immediately.”

Hernandez said the construction of two new buildings and renovation of the existing active campuses make up the bulk of the new facility plan. New building projects include a junior high school complex for grades seven through nine — which will include a 1,000-seat auditorium and a 2,200-seat multipurpose area that can be used for community events — that will be constructed adjacent to the existing high school, and a new Langston Aerospace and Environmental Magnet School (an elementary school), which will be built at its current location.

In the school-board election, unofficial results Wednesday showed that incumbent Bob Freeman defeated Pat King, 1,137 to 710, for the Position 1 seat. Incumbent Ann Hill was unopposed for the Position 4 seat; Wednesday’s unofficial results showed she received 1,621 votes.

SHERIDAN

Residents of the Sheridan School District passed a 3.8-mill increase during the school election Tuesday, bringing the millage from 32.2 mills to 36 mills. Unofficial results Wednesday showed a total of 2,576 people voted for the increase, and 1,722 voted against it.

“I would like to express my sincerest gratitude for the strong support the community has shown for our students during this election,” Superintendent Jerrod Williams said.

“Our main goal during the campaign was to be as transparent as possible with our facility concerns and our plans for the future,” he said. “With help from many community members, I think we accomplished that goal and made great strides in garnering much-appreciated trust and support from our patrons.

“We are obviously very pleased with the results of the election,” Williams said. “The millage passed in both of our district’s counties (Grant and Saline, where the district has campuses in East End) and won by more than 850 votes. With the passing of this millage, we will be able to vastly improve the state of our facilities and will have the resources to provide more opportunities for our students.

“This millage increase is not just an investment in our education system — it is an investment in our community. By approving this millage, you have made a significant difference for our children, our community and our future. Our future is bright, and I am excited to be a part of this journey with you.”

Sheridan’s facilities plan, which is in two phases, includes constructing a building on the existing high school campus that would house all ninth-grade students and building a middle school in East End; both of those projects are listed in Phase 1. Phase 2 includes converting Sheridan Junior High School into a middle school. Upgrades and renovations of other buildings are included in both phases.

In the Sheridan School Board election, Wednesday’s unofficial results showed that Deborah Mooney defeated John H. Gilbreath by a vote of 3,210 to 815 for the Position 5 seat. Unofficial results also showed that Jeff Lisenbey was elected in an uncontested race for the Position 4 seat, with 3,610 voters casting ballots.

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