Fountain Lake voters rejected a millage increase in Tuesday's annual school elections by an almost two-to-one margin, according to final but unofficial results from the Garland County Election Commission.
In the Lakeside School District, Bart Bledsoe defeated incumbent John D. Pennington 315-207 in the race for Position 3 on the school board.
Fountain Lake's 4-mill increase failed 1,271-659. Support was split in Garland County, with voters declining the tax increase 441-391, but sparse in Saline County. Voters there declined it 830-268, or by a three-to-one count. Election commission data showed a 12.60 percent turnout for Fountain Lake's roughly 6,600 Garland County voters and 14.70 percent for its almost 7,500 Saline County voters.
The election commission said most of the Saline County precincts are in east Hot Springs Village. Saline County voters who cast ballots at the polling place in the Bank OZK location near the Village's east gate voted 708-161 against the tax increase.
Superintendent Michael Murphy said the district understood the challenge it faced in the Village, where more than 70 percent of the district's registered voters reside but only 20 percent of its 1,400 students. The 4 mills would have been an $80 a year tax increase on a $100,000 home, raising what the district projected would be an additional $1.5 million in annual revenue.
"We have a very low student population in Saline County and in the Village as a whole," Murphy said. "The biggest challenge we have is communicating with a group of voters who don't have children in school. How we can do that effectively is a big challenge. Obviously, with the results of the vote, they didn't feel the need for additional assessment."
School board member Cindy Herring said the district needs to do a better sales job on future millage campaigns.
"It's critical to engage with members of the community and build relationships and educate them on the millage," said Herring, who was elected Tuesday night to serve the two years left on the Position 1 board seat she was appointed to in July. "We need to highlight the good things our school has to offer as well as talk about some of the challenges the school has faced as it's grown. Hopefully, we can change some of those noes to yeses."
The 34.80 mills Fountain Lake levies on real and personal property is the lowest of the seven school districts in Garland County. Murphy said earlier this year that the district's property tax income has been flat since 2010, prompting the school board to ask for the first millage hike since 1990.
The tax increase would have given the district an additional 2.95 mills for maintenance and operation and 1.05 mills to finance capital improvements that included a new preschool building, cafeteria expansion and additional parking. Murphy said the projects have been shelved in light of Tuesday night's results.
"We won't be able to deliver those items," he said. "We also had plans to purchase one new school bus on an annual basis. There are needs we're going to have to address either through budget restructuring or new revenue."
Murphy said the district planned to do away with three temporary buildings had the millage passed. He said additional temporary space may be needed if enrollment increases.
The district's budget projection showed the 2.95 mills would have provided more than $300,000 in base salary increases for faculty during the 2020-21 school year and more than $600,000 in 2022-23, raising the base salary for teachers from $38,200 to $42,200 in four years.
Corey C. George defeated Greg Frank 857-772 in the district's other contested school board race. He will fill the Position 2 seat Bo Robertson vacated. Incumbent Dana Greeson was unopposed for Position 4.
Cutter Morning Star, Hot Springs, Jessieville, Lake Hamilton and Mountain Pine school districts did not have a contested school board race or millage change and held their elections by absentee and early voting only.
Local on 05/23/2019