Final public meeting set to discuss millage hike

By submitted, 08/29/19 9:33 AM

PRESCOTT – Throughout the last eight months, the Prescott School District has been informing the community about facts surrounding the need for a 5.9 millage increase to fund the construction of a new elementary building and security upgrades across all campuses. On a scale used by the Arkansas Division of Public School Academic Facilities to rate the expected remaining useable life of our elementary school building, the building ranks a negative twenty-two, compared to a ranking of one hundred for a new building.

The Arkansas Public School Facilities Division, through its Partnership Program, has pledged $5,179,373 of the total buildingcost for a new Prescott Elementary School. Additional money generated by the millage will cover security upgrades, demolition fees, architecture fees and the paving of the drive behind the football field. If the district does not pass the millage, they will risk the loss of those funds in the future. Due to the decreasing availability of funds and competing priorities within the State’s budget, there is no guarantee the Partnership Program will always be available.

The district’s last millage increase was 20 years ago.

A final informational meeting will be held at the Prescott Junior High Cafeteriaon Sept 3 at 6 PM. The meeting will have a 20 minute presentation followed by a question and answer period to allow voters to ask any questions they have about the issue at hand. Pizza will be served and the meeting is open to the public.