EROS — With early voting already underway in the annual school elections, a group of 45 Marion County residents met Tuesday night, May 6, at the community building here to organize a last minute campaign to challenge and defeat the Ozark Mountain School District's proposal to continue its current millage and extending 11.5 debt service mills for 30 years. Election Day is Tuesday, May 13.
The meeting was called by Tommy Dean Johnson, who serves as a justice of the peace on the Marion County Quorum Court. He said he did not call the meeting as a county official, but only as a concerned citizen. He was joined at the meeting by Bruce Emerson, a poultry farmer who lives near Pyatt.
Early voting began that day. The ballot lists two measures for voters' consideration: One school board candidate, Randall Barton Beaver, is running uncontested for Position #7. The ballot also includes information on the school district's 36.5 mill tax.
"The total rate proposed above includes the uniform rate of 25.0 mills (the “Statewide Uniform Rate”) to be collected on all taxable property in the State and remitted to the State Treasurer pursuant to Amendment No. 74 to the Arkansas Constitution to be used solely for maintenance and operation of schools in the State. As provided in Amendment No. 74, the Statewide Uniform Rate replaces a portion of the existing rate of tax levied by this School District and available for maintenance and operation of schools in this District. The total proposed school tax levy of 36.5 mills includes 25.0 mills specifically voted for general maintenance and operation and 11.5 mills voted for debt service previously voted as a continuing levy pledged for the retirement of existing bonded indebtedness. The existing 11.5 debt service mills now pledged for the retirement of existing bonded indebtedness, which debt service mills will continue after retirement of the bonds to which now pledged, will be a continuing debt service tax until the retirement of proposed bonds to be issued in the principal amount of $3,625,000, and which will mature over a period of 30 years, and will be issued for the purpose of refunding the District's Refunding Bonds, dated June 1, 2012; replacing multiple roofs; renovating and creating office space and secure entry ways at certain buildings; renovating bus garage; and constructing, refurbishing, remodeling and equipping other school facilities. The surplus revenues produced each year by the debt service millage may be used by the District for other school purposes," the ballot reads.
The total proposed school tax levy of 36.5 mills represents the same tax rate currently being levied.
However, from the perspective of Johnson, Emerson and others, the extension of the 11.5 mills constitutes a new tax.
Emerson called the 11.5 mills previous and 11.5 mills going forward "sleight of hand." When that bond expires a new bond is going to be written for 30 years. That's a new bond. The old one would sunset in 2028 and it would be gone. He said the bond is being extended so the school district can refinance debt.
Emerson then reviewed the millage election information provided by the school district on it website. It is presented in a question and answer format.
1. Will my tax rate increase if I vote FOR the 36.5 Mill School Tax?
● NO, voting FOR will keep your tax rate the same.
2. How long until this tax would expire?
● If this passes, it would not expire for 30 years.
3. If it does not pass, when would the current school tax expire?
● The 25.0 M&O mills are required by state law and do not expire. The 11.5 debt mills are set to expire after the 27/28 school year.
4. Is this an extension of the current school tax, or an increase?
● This is only an extension of the current rate, there will be no increase in tax rate.
5. What does the current 36.5 mill rate generate for the school district?
● The 25.0 M&O mills produce about $1.9 million per year. The 11.5 (that you are voting to extend) debt mills generate about $817,000 per year. Of that, about $208,000 is used for the bond payment, leaving approximately $609,000.
6. What will the money be used for if the extension passes?
● General maintenance of existing buildings such as replacing roofs, renovating office space and making schools more secure, refurbishing, remodeling and equipping existing buildings, and other school purposes.
Emerson said the 11.5 mills represents $817,000 a year of taxpayers' money. That's $24 million over 30 years," he pointed out.
Going over the school district's Q & A list, Emerson made some observations particularly on what the money will be used for. He called general maintenance, renovations, refurbishing, remodeling and equipping existing buildings as construction. And other school purposes. This is written so vague and embellished so much, what are you voting for? Emerson asked. In his mind, he said, this money will go into the general fund.
Future of Bruno-Pyatt Elementary Campus
The elephant in the room, however, is the questionable future of the Bruno-Pyatt Elementary School located just up the highway from the community building where the meeting was being held. Speculation is that the school will be closed by the school district because only around 27 students are currently attending classes there and the campus is operating at a deficit of approximately $436,000 using last year's M and O expenditures and this year's salaries of employees.
An informational letter and a survey were sent to the school's parents asking if they would leave their child in the district if the Bruno-Pyatt campus was to close. About half the surveys indicated the students would stay. The school district also notified patrons that the school would hold kindergarten registration much earlier than normal for the 2025-26 school year.
Last January, the school district's board of education met at the school in regular session. Superintendent Jeff Lewis said, "I do think it is too soon. I don't think we're ready for this... (he was careful not to suggest the possibility of closing the school), but there are going to have to be some changes," the superintendent told the board.
He noted some of the school's teachers have resigned and he thought combining some grade levels could be done. It's not ideal, but it's been done in the past.
He reported that the early kindergarten registration netted zero students. That doesn't mean that between now and next August we are not going to have some new kindergarteners.
Something else he suggested is having meals prepared at another campus in the school district, either St. Joe in Searcy County or Western Grove in Newton County, and brought to the school located in Marion County. That would save the expense of a staff position salary and the cost of maintaining equipment.
Lewis told the board he would push School Choice "as hard as we can push it."
He said there is the possibility of getting a transportation modernization grant that would allow the district to purchase some SUVs to transport small numbers of students.
"I agree that we need to exhaust all options before we do anything," Lewis said.
The school district's financial adviser Dan Lovelady with First Security and Aliza Jones, the school district's contracted consultant to help planning new facilities, were at the February meeting to discuss extension of the school district's current millage and meeting school district needs. Some of those needs include building roofs, new heating, air-conditioning and ventilation equipment and some construction at the St. Joe School's bus garage which needs some modifications to allow mechanics to work on new and larger school buses.
Lewis recently notified the school board that he will resign from the superintendent's position at the end of his contract in June. He is returning to the coaching ranks and accepted a job in the Harrison School District.
Now until the election
Emerson said if the school at Eros is closed, the school district will save pretty close to $500,000. That's $100,000 shy of what the district is asking for. "Why do we want a new bond for 30 years that will cost us $24 million when they are cutting and saving almost that right now?" The district also wouldn't be paying the bonding company $200,000 a year. "That just doesn't make good sense to me."
Emerson also noted an irregularity was discovered Tuesday morning when early voting started at the Marion County Courthouse in Yellville. The Ozark Mountain School District is based out of St. Joe Elementary School in Searcy County. The Searcy County Election Commission is overseeing the election. Searcy County uses paper ballots. Paper ballots were delivered to the courthouse in Yellville for Zone 7 only. Marion County includes Zones 5, 6 and 7. If anyone from one of the other zones voted on the Zone 7 ballot, the ballot will be counted, Emerson said he was assured. Ballots for Zones 5 and 6 were expected to be at the courthouse on Wednesday.
With time being short, Emerson said yard signs and mail-out fliers have been produced and are being distributed throughout the school district to call attention to the concerns not only held by Marion County voters, but also voters in other part of the school district.
The floor was opened for questions for the remainder of the hour-long meeting.
Regardless of the outcome of next Tuesdays election, Emerson indicated a strategy is being developed that will remove Marion County from the Ozark Mountain School District.
Early voting for OMSD will be available 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Tuesday-Friday, May 6-9, and Monday, May 12, at the following locations:
Searcy County Courthouse, 200 S Hwy 27, Marshall
Newton County Courthouse, 100 Court St., Jasper
Marion County Courthouse, 300 East Old Main St., Yellville
Absentee Voting: To request an absentee ballot, contact:
Searcy County Clerk: 870.448.3807
Newton County Clerk: 870.446.5125
Marion County Clerk: 870.449.6226
Election Day Voting for OMSD, Tuesday, May 13, will be held from 7:30 am until 7:30 pm at the following locations:
For Searcy County residents: St. Joe Community Building, South First Street
For Newton County Residents: Western Grove City Hall, 28659 Hwy. 65
For Marion County Residents: Bruno-Pyatt Elementary, 4754 Hwy. 125, Everton
