Why I am Voting For the Millage
Posted by Josh McGee | Education, Fayetteville, AR, Politics | August 13, 2010
(Guest post by Jay Greene)
I intend to vote for the school millage increase in Fayetteville on September 21. I know that my supporting a millage increase seems as likely as pigs flying, but both can happen — I support local taxes that are well-spent. I also believe those Razorbacks will soar this year.
I opposed the previous millage effort, but I did so because it seemed extravagant and wasteful. Much of the current high school is adequate and there was no need to demolish it entirely and replace it with a new Taj Mahal. Besides, there is no evidence that fancy buildings improve education. Buildings don’t teach kids, people do.
But the voters soundly rejected the previous millage by almost 2 to 1 and the school board got the message. They scaled back their plans, found clever ways to economize by keeping much of the current structure, and they took full advantage of federally subsidized loans.
Now the school board is asking for a more modest millage increase to take even more advantage of those federal loan plans and save $29 million in interest. Voting for this millage is a no-brainer. The only effect of rejecting it would be that we would pay$29 million more in interest payments on the same school construction loans we are going to take out anyway. We’ll have to pay that $29 million someday with a larger millage increase or force $29 million in operational cuts, which could be done but certainly won’t be comfortable.
I have to confess that I hesitated for a few moments in supporting even this no-brainer. The current school board has not earned my trust or confidence with their past bumbling on plans for the high school, their embrace of 21st Century Skills nonsense, and their phony public input cheer-leading events. I don’t even like the name of the pro-millage group, Smart Fayetteville Committee since it is obviously manipulative and not-at-all smart to dub whatever you support “smart.”
I also have to confess that if I had my druthers we would have two, smaller high schools rather than remodeling one big one. I would gladly pay an even higher new millage for that. But that option is not on the table. The school district has moved forward with its remodeling plan and now our only choice is whether to pay more or less in interest payments. I prefer paying less in interest even if it means having a higher millage for a while.
I am NOT voting for the millage, and here are my reasons.
1. The school board LIED to us last year when they said “if we don’t get the millage approved, we will lose out on the Federal funds.” The millage failed (spectacularly), and they got the $45 million+ anyway.
2. The school board LIED AGAIN when they said the current buildings were not able to support a high school education. It’s funny how a study authorized by the University said that with only $10 million, the current high school campus – as it stood LAST YEAR – was appropriate for a University-level education!
3. The School Board failed in it’s mission to promote the education of our children by failing to recognize that a single, mega-school will do nothing to promote learning as many more students will “fall between the cracks” of a system set up to glorify the athletes, promote the strong learners, and help along the weaker students – ignoring everyone in the middle. That is what happens when there are 2500-3000 students in a single school. Why is there only 1 high school in Fayetteville? “Because it has always been that way (and we really don’t want to break up the football team).”
4. This new attempt at a millage, combined with the money in their budget, and from the Federal Government will add up to almost EXACTLY what they asked for last year – a $115 million BLANK CHECK. So basically, they back-door us into getting what they wanted all along.
5. The school board needs to learn to live within a BUDGET – like the rest of us are forced to do. If they want to build a school, you do it with current (and projected) revenues – you don’t just ask for a bunch of “free money” to make up the shortfall from the people living on those budgets.
What were my recommendations to the Board last year?
1. Sell the current campus, sports fields, and administration buildings to the University. Since they already said that with minimal updates it would be acceptable for a University-level education, why not give them the opportunity to expand the campus, add more students, etc.
2. Buy the Marinoni property at Wedington/I540 – it is relatively flat, large, and a great location. You could not only build a wonderful campus there, but there is room for a sports complex, administration, retail, and more.
3. Build a smaller, focused, charter-like school on one of the other pieces of property the district owns. You can have students there who are either academically AWESOME, or are looking for a career-track… and if there are students there who also want to be on the football team…
4. Have one football team for both schools. At least, until the school board can envision more than one football team in town, or the student body at both schools can support it. Fayetteville can support more than one team. It is just, again, the “it’s always been that way” attitude that they just can’t see past.
This is why I cannot vote for the millage this year. Not only is everyone hurting financially these days, it just isn’t fiscally sound to give more money to an organization (the school board) who cannot seem to live within a budget.
We also have to vote in some “new blood” as well. I think there are two seats up for election this year… make sure you know the candidates, and you vote in someone NEW!
I’m glad your mind is open. Let’s continue with that.
Tom Sawyer gave a good rebuttle. So, I’ll just ask some questions.
You are willing to pay for ANYTHING just because it is paid with low interest loans (which, BTW would not have happened without the defeat). Don’t you want to achieve what you think is right?
Why didn’t you push and push and push with your writtings to say “They are now going behind our back which disenfranchises the voters”?
or
We 6,000 against the first millage should band together in a class action suit?
or
Why are they keeping the one section that they complain LEAKS badly and has the “Cafeteria” that they claim is too small?
I will not work for either side, now. I stood up there on that podium and gave them hell over the first election and have done so since as it regards their new plan.
However, I looked over my shoulder the last time I spoke. I did not see anybody else lined up behind me to speak. I can afford this. Most of my kids can’t. Many of the citizens can’t. But, if neither will stand up and fight to their face….. let them eat cake.
Mr. Sawyer: The University is not interested in the property!
See:
http://fama.uark.edu/
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Dear UA Not Interested…
If you read my comments correctly, you would have noticed that I said, “what were my recommendations LAST YEAR”? I did not say the university still wanted the property, I stated they were interested last year, and in years prior… and performed an appraisal at that time that determined they would be able to make the property “university ready” for $10 million.
Tom Sawyer
!. There was never any mention of federal funds being available for use before the Sept. 15, 2009 election. I challenge anyone to document that claim. The federal money available now is not a grant but an interest free loan. It is indeed a no-brainer not to take this opportunity to save $29 million in interest charges.
2. The current campus could not have been used for a collegiate level education. At best it would have been used for storage and maybe labs until the university tore it down and built new facilties. That is why it was such a terrible idea for the university to buy the campus- most of the cash value was in the buildings themselves.
3. Splitting the high school into two campuses would also split the city into two halves. One can look 10 miles to the north and see what a bad idea that is- the haves are on the Harber side and the have-nots on the Springdale High side. Having two high schools also causes more expense by having to have two of everything in order to be fair- again look just north.
4. Again- the stimulus money is not a grant- it will have to be paid back. It’s use has been clearly explained and the plans have been laid out for all to see.
5. The district is clearly living within it’s means- the money to pay back the first phase bonds is coming through cuts in the district budget. To cut back more would mean damaging the education mission of the schools.
Daniel, check out the link below. The district announced the possibility of receiving Qualified School Construction Bonds on Sept. 11, 2009. And well before that, June ’09 or so, they had been touting the possibility of receiving stimulus money for the project.
http://mid-riffs.com/2009/09/breaking-news/
Challenge accepted. Where is my prize?
Congrats on that- best I can do. I mised that 4 days before the election – after I voted early I didn’t keep up with it. I still don’t remember it being mentioned in any of the public meetings I attended and I don’t think it was a factor in how people voted. It certainly should be a factor in this very different election. I will be voting yes and think it will pass easily.
Tom, building two high schools is no longer an option at least in the short to medium term. It’s time to move on. At the moment we are renovating the current high school. The district is asking for a moderate sum to complete the project as planned. They have demonstrated fiscal responsibility by funding a large portion of the project through budget cuts.
Most of your points read like you have a personal problem with members of the school board, and that you would like to punish them for their misdeeds by voting no in September.
Vote them out if you like, but don’t also punish everyone else with unnecessary cost.
The current proposal seems prudent to me. It is the most cost effective way to add the space the high school needs along with some of the amenities we desire.
I do remember the tax credits being mentioned and reading through the links I see that is the same program. It was explained differently last year and didn’t emphasize the interest free aspect.
My question to the millage increase is what has happened to all the other millage increase projects? Are we still paying for those projects or is that money being spent some where else? I would vote for any millage increase if after the loan is payed for the millage goes back to what it was before. So I vote no to any increase and expect the government to adhere to a budget. I have to have a budget and stick with it and I expect the government needs to learn to stick to a budget too!!
This vote is not about 1 school or 2 schools, 9th grade in or 9th grade out, this campus or another campus, new FHS or not a new FHS.
This vote is about how to pay for the new FHS that is already under construction at the current site that will house 9th graders. We can vote yes and pay less or vote no and pay more. It really is that simple.
Tom-Clearly you are mad at the school board. Please vote as new candidates run at election time, but don’t take your frustration out on the 8,400 students that just want the best education we can give them in an environemnt that is up to state standards. Surely YOU would not want to work everyday in an environment where even the basic of standards are not being met?
Warren-Someone as budget conscience as you can surely understand…… Pay more with a no vote…..pay less with a yes vote. Who are you “punishing” by voting no? Your budget.