The Cleveland County School Board wants a millage increase for new construction on its campus in Rison.
On Monday night in a special-called meeting, the board voted to ask voters for a millage increase of six mills in a special election this November.
The current millage is 38.10. That would increase to 44.10 if the millage passed. For property owners, that's an increase of about $120 a year in taxes for every $100,000 of a property's market value.
In comparison, schools around Rison have the following millage rate, according to the Arkansas Department of Education.
Woodlawn: 37.00
Sheridan: 36.00
Fordyce: 38.50
Hamburg: 39.50
Watson Chapel: 39.80
Pine Bluff: 47.70
White Hall: 42.10
The Earle School District has the highest millage rate in the state at 54.80 followed by Fouke at 49.00.
To see more millage rates throughout Arkansas school districts, click here.
Cleveland County citizens packed the special meeting in the tiny Administration Building, but the decision to ask voters for a 6-mill increase was already decided in what appeared to be a cut-and-dried deal. The meeting appeared to be simply a formality.
When board member Kelly Taylor asked Board President Wilson if there could be citizen input, Wilson said, "I'd rather not."
Watch the Reckoning's live stream here.
The board voted for the millage election to be held in November instead of waiting until March when political primary elections will also be on the ballot. The November election could cost the school district approximately $10,000 to place it as a single issue on the ballot.
The school needs a new gym, which has been the focus of at least two work sessions with a representative from Stephens Inc. and an architect.
In one work session that the Reckoning attended, the architect showed renderings for a gym and basketball arena that could seat over 1,000 people.
However, a gym was never mentioned Monday night. No architect renderings were shown either.
Cleveland County School District had approximately 668 students during the 2024-25 school year, according to a document from Stephens Inc.
Several school board members made reference to construction starting sooner rather than later because of increasing costs, but the board was never clear in what that construction would entail, the actual cost or even what actually would be built on the campus.
The special meeting was short. It lasted less than 15 minutes and that included a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance prior to the board's voting to approve the request for the millage and the month for the millage election.
The district asked for a millage increase in 2022 for a new gym and a track with a proposed 5-mill increase. The millage failed.
Since the meeting Monday night, the Reckoning has received several questions.
One question was if the school board would host community meetings to answer questions from the public.
Superintendent Davy King wrote in an email to the Reckoning: "Not that am not aware of but I'll let you know if they change their mind!!"
The Reckoning asked for any renderings of proposed construction on the Rison campus.
King responded: "No mam, he [the architect] took them with him to make some adjustments."
The Reckoning also asked for audio recordings of the two work sessions between the school board, a Stephens Inc. representative and an architect.
"There was no recording of the work session since it was considered board trainings," King wrote in an email to the Reckoning.
