Yes, yes, yes

Three school districts need support of voters

Wouldn’t it be nice if every new kid moving into a town came with an infusion of cash from the federal and state governments that more than covered the costs of his education?

Around Northwest Arkansas, that question probably hints at the daydreams of some school superintendents and school district financial officers. When these school officials snap out of their fantasies, they have to deal with the realities in front of them: More kids eventually mean more buildings. And that typically means going to local voters and asking an important question: What kind of school district do they want educating the community’s young people?

When student population growth is rapid, that question often comes via a request to voters for a millage increase in property taxes, the life blood of local school systems. In Benton County, three school districts have asked their voters to back tax increases to empower their school leaders to build the facilities necessary to handle the heavy influx of students into their communities.

None of the construction plans the districts hope to fund involve extravagances. Bentonville, Rogers and Pea Ridge are all working diligently to simply address the burdens of fast-growing student populations. In the end, there are only so many places school districts can cram its students.

In Bentonville, a 1.9-mill increase would build two elementary schools, a middle school and a junior high school over the next few years. That will allow the district to refinance bonds issued in 2010 and 2013. With voter approval, the district’s 12th elementary school would open in 2019, its fourth junior high in 2020, its 13th elementary school and sixth middle school would come along in 2022. It’s expected the state will kick in about $12 million toward Bentonville’s plans if voters back the millage.

Rogers has asked voters to back a 3.5-mill increase that will pay for two new elementary schools, one immediately and one in the future. It also includes technology upgrades and safety/ security enhancements at district properties. Rogers School District hasn’t asked its voters for a millage increase in nearly 14 years, a significant factor for voters to consider in this pitch to invest in local schools.

Pea Ridge is feeling the same student population growth challenges of its larger neighbors but has a smaller property value base to work with. School officials are asking for a 5.1-mill increase to build a new high school. Voter approval would allow the district to restructure its grade system, putting grades 10-12 in the new high school, grades 8-9 in what is today’s high school, and placing grades 6-7 in the middle schools. The state would contribute more than $10.6 million to the project if local voters say “yes” to their part.

Promoters of each community’s schools have set up websites to make their pitch for a “yes” vote. They can be found at:

■ Rogers: https://www.rogersmillage. com

■ Bentonville: https:// www.

votemay9.com

■ Pea Ridge: https://www.yes

pearidge.com

So, who likes more taxes? Few of us do, but we’re not talking about the checks to the IRS that seem to just evaporate into a bloated system that takes in trillions of dollars but still can’t stay within its means. No, in each of these scenarios, voters are being asked to support local institutions of learning that are vital threads in the fabric of each community. Each request is reasonable in the effort to fund the kind of physical structures necessary to handle the influx of new students without harming the strong educational environment each district has built.

We think school officials have built a strong case for voters to make the investment. Early voting continues through Monday, with Election Day on May 9 in all three districts. We encourage voters to make it a point to go out and support their local schools.