Three Arkansas school districts in which voters recently passed property tax increases for campus building projects -- only to see construction costs soar -- are getting some extra help from the state.
The state Public School Academic Facilities and Transportation Commission on Monday agreed to distribute to the Southside School District in Independence County, the Watson Chapel School District in Jefferson County and White County Central School District about $17 million to aid the districts in their construction of a new school and various school additions.
The vote of the three-member commission comes after Arkansas lawmakers earlier this year authorized the transfer of as much as $24 million from the state's Academic Facilities Partnership program to its Academic Facilities Extraordinary Circumstances account to supplement the funding for seven projects in the three districts that had seen property tax increases.
Leaders of the districts on Monday thanked the commission for the additional funding but also pointed to the discrepancy between the $24 million transfer approved by lawmakers and the $17 million to be distributed. The $17 million is an amount that took into account factors such as a district's local property tax wealth. That reduced the state aid for which the districts are eligible.
Dion Stevens, superintendent of the Southside School District in Batesville, told the commission that the reduction in anticipated help would limit his district to just one of four planned projects -- additions to the high school, junior high, middle and elementary schools.
Stevens asked that his district has the flexibility to pick the project to be completed if the extraordinary state aid to the three districts is less than $24 million.
Arkansas Education Secretary Jacob Oliva, chairman of the facilities committee, made the motion to approve the $17 million distribution to the three districts with a caveat that state leaders will regroup to find a way to release an additional $7 million and get the building projects "across the finish line."
Southside district voters had approved a 4.8-mill property tax increase to finance the district's share of the construction costs.
The state's share was initially almost $22.8 million for the campus additions. The commission on Monday increased that by about $9.5 million to a total of $32 million.
In Watson Chapel, voters had approved a 5.7-mill property tax increase to finance its share of the costs for a new high school to replace an old campus where a student was shot and killed two years ago.
The state's share of the campus construction was originally calculated at $14.6 million, but that has been increased, at least for now, to $21,046,246, according to records presented by the state's Division of Academic Facilities and Transportation.
"This new high school means everything to our kids and this community," Tom Wilson, superintendent of the Watson Chapel community, told the commission in asking that the full $24 million be distributed.
Wilson said the cost of the new Watson Chapel campus was originally set at $23 million -- a cost that has since increased to $39 million.
Oliva urged fellow commissioners Larry Walther and Mark Conine to allocate the $17 million so the districts can start their projects while state leaders work on a way to distribute an additional $7 million.
Also Monday, the commission approved raising the square foot cost of construction for planning purposes from $202.69 to $289.71, which is a 42.9 % increase since 2020, Tim Cain, director of the facilities division, said.
The commission on Monday approved state Academic Facilities Partnership Program aid for 11 new-space projects and seven warm, safe and dry projects for 2023-2024, which is the first year of the 2023-2025 building cycle.
The 10 districts approved for 11 new-space projects are:
Yellville -- high school classroom addition.
Elkins -- middle school addition.
Izard County -- elementary school addition and high school addition.
Riverside -- West Elementary School addition.
Dardanelle -- agriculture/ alternative learning education building.
Cleveland County -- Rison High cafeteria expansion.
Greenwood -- new elementary school.
Marion -- new kindergarten-through-six grade magnet school.
Bryant -- phase 2 of junior high renovation.
Lake Hamilton -- high school gym conversion.
The six districts approved for seven warm, safe and dry projects are:
Hoxie -- new elementary school.
Blytheville -- high school roof renovation.
Hope -- Yerger Junior High gymnasium systems replacements.
West Memphis -- high school ventilation system renovation.
Brinkley -- high school replacement and replacement of Partee Elementary School.
East Poinsett County -- new seventh through 12th grade school.