WCSD begins millage campaign
The Watson Chapel School Board trustees will ask voters in their district to approve a 5.7-mill increase to help fund construction of a new high school.
The board voted unanimously for a resolution to place the request on the ballot during a special election to be held Aug. 9. If passed, the millage rate in the district will be increased to 39.8 mills beginning July 1, 2023.
In December the Arkansas Department of Education approved a partnership with the Watson Chapel School District that would contribute $14,564,876 to the building project, aimed at replacing the 1945-built junior high school campus with a new high school facility and moving junior high students to the present high school campus, which was built in 1977.
The 39.8 mills would include 28.1 mills specifically voted for general maintenance, 8 mills for debt service to retire existing bonds and 3.7 mills for new debt service. The combined millage for debt service is expected to generate $8.22 million.
A mill is calculated as $1 of property tax per $1,000 of assessed value. The full assessed value of property is 20% of the market value in Arkansas, so a person who owns a home valued at $100,000 would pay $20 for every mill in tax.
The average millage for school districts in Arkansas is 38.85, according to the state Education Department.
NEW ZONES
The board formally asked Superintendent Andrew Curry to seek approval of new board zones from the Jefferson County Election Commission and County Clerk to be established for the November general election.
The map would include five zones: Zone 1 covering the southern half of the district and part of the area between Camden Road and the railroad, Zone 2 covering the northwest corner of the district, Zone 3 covering the northeastern tip between South Blake Street and the railroad, Zone 4 covering an area just west of Interstate 530 and Zone 5 covering the remaining portion on the northern district border.
NEW PROGRAMS
The district struck a partnership with Central Moloney to bring a welding program to the high school for the next school year.
Curry said Central Moloney would provide all related materials for students enrolled in weld
ing and would also give hiring preference to those who graduate from the school.
Curry said he will soon meet with Jefferson Regional Medical Center officials about beginning a program related to careers in medical technology.
EXPULSIONS
A junior high student who was sent to an alternative learning environment after being arrested in January on suspicion of threatening students off-campus was expelled for one calendar year. Authorities say the girl appeared on a video with a weapon threatening other students.
A high school student was expelled for one calendar year after he allegedly committed “disorderly conduct, terroristic threats, profanity, disrespect and riotous behavior,” according to a district meeting agenda. The student was arrested and will have education arrangements made through the juvenile justice system, Curry said.
IN OTHER DISTRICT BUSINESS
Board trustees also voted on a recruitment and retention plan for teachers that sets a higher attendance rate needed to achieve a per-semester bonus.
Each classified staff member returning to the WCSD for the school year would be paid $2,000 in December of this year if he or she completes in-person qualifications from May 2 to Nov. 30 with 92% in-person attendance — up 2 percentage points from the current benchmark — and $2,000 in May 2023 if he or she achieves 92% in-person attendance between Dec. 1 and April 28, 2023.
“Disciplinary infractions should be avoided and could result in loss of incentive pay per semester,” according to a document on the revised retention plan. “Classified staff must show at the end of the fall semester term by Nov. 30, 2021 efforts of completion of required training and completion of all required professional development by the April 29, 2022 end date.”