Marked Tree School District officials are asking patrons to help modernize school buildings that, while adequate when they were built more than 60 years ago, are no longer practical or safe.
Voters in the school district will decide on a 6-mill increase next Tuesday that if approved will fund construction of new wings on the elementary and high school buildings, renovations to the school cafeterias, additions of tornado shelters on both campuses and upgrades to the facility's electrical system.
Early voting for the residents of the 535-student district begins today, a Poinsett County deputy clerk said.
"We need a shot in the arm to give our community more curb appeal," Superintendent Matt Wright said. "Unfortunately, there's never a good time to ask for a tax increase, but our community really supports our school and sees the needs we have."
The district's millage rate of 33.5 mills is the 32nd-lowest out of more than 230 districts in the state, Wright said.
Property is assessed at 20 percent of its appraised value, meaning a $100,000 home has a taxable value of $20,000. A mill is one-tenth of a cent. One mill levied on an assessed value of $20,000 yields $20 in property taxes.
If voters favor the proposal, the millage would increase to 39.5 mills, raising the property tax on a $100,000 home from $670 to $790 per year, and will generate about $4.2 million, the superintendent said. The state also will contribute $4.3 million if the millage is approved.
"If someone offers you $4.3 million, how can you say no to that?" Marked Tree School Board President Vickie Green said.
School officials have held several public meetings informing residents of the millage proposal. Wright said he's not seen any opposition to the plan.
"I feel pretty good about it," he said of the millage passing.
Plans call for renovating the high school, which was built in 1949, and the elementary school, which opened in 1957.
The new construction will connect the existing elementary classroom wing with the gymnasium and eliminate unsecured entrances.
At the high school, workers will demolish sections of the old wing, seven classrooms, the band room and the library and principal's office. A new choir room, band room, several classrooms and a physical education area will be added.
There are 14 entrances to the elementary building, and that creates safety concerns, Wright said.
"That was fine when the building was built 60 years ago, but as society changes, our buildings did not evolve with those changes," he said.
Plans also include renovations to cafeterias in the elementary and high school buildings.
Construction should be completed within 18 months after work begins, Wright said. Work won't affect elementary students, but some high school classrooms will be displaced briefly while construction is underway.
It's a large proposal for Wright, who became the district's superintendent in July.
He graduated from Marked Tree High School in 1995 and began working in the district in 2001 as the high school principal before becoming superintendent.
"If this passes, we have a meeting scheduled for Sept. 20," Wright said. "We're going to get to work on this on the next day."
Green graduated from the Marked Tree district in 1979 and attended grade school in the same building that students are using today.
"Back then we had one [electrical] plug-in in the classroom," she said. "That was fine for the overhead projector, but all the kids today have laptops. It's crazy to have only one plug-in.
"We want to give them the very best education we can. This will be a massive improvement for the district if the millage passes."
State Desk on 09/12/2017