Two days remaining in school elections

Monday and Tuesday are the final two days that voters can cast ballots in two local school millage campaigns and two contested board races.

Monday is the final day of early voting in the annual school election. Early ballots can be cast from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday in the Garland County Election Commission building at 649-A Ouachita Ave.

Election day is Tuesday. Voters will have separate locations for ballot measures in the Cutter Morning Star, Mountain Pine and Lake Hamilton school districts.

Cutter Morning Star is seeking ap-

proval for 8.4 new debt service mills and a 12-year extension of 15.5 existing mills, for a new investment of almost $19.2 million. The revenue would allow the district to progress with about $18 million in planned construction and improvement projects on campus.

The increase would allow the district to receive more than $7.8 million through the state’s Academic Facilities Partnership Program, including $6.255 million toward the construction of a new high school and basketball arena for almost $14.5 million. The new facilities would replace the current high school and gymnasium built in 1960 and 1969, respectively.

Cutter Morning Star will hold voting on election day in the district’s multipurpose building on campus from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Mountain Pine is seeking an increase of 2 new debt service mills to fund the construction of an agriculture center and a safe room on campus. The new investment of more than $9.6 million by district residents over the next 30 years is planned to pay off the district’s shortterm indebtedness and generate $2.345 million for the construction of the two projects.

The 8,000-square-foot agri center would house the new agri program at Mountain Pine High School and a number of other technical programs, such as welding and plumbing. The

4,600-square-foot safe room would be available for school and community use with a capacity of about 600 people and would be used for two community based instruction classrooms.

Current Mountain Pine School Board President Clayton Miller is running for re-election to a third term against former board member Mike Smith in Position

5. Jennifer Walker is unopposed for the Position 3 seat.

Voting on election day in Mountain Pine will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the old gymnasium at 199 Third St.

Lake Hamilton School Board President Mike Tucker is opposed for the first time for his Position 55 seat. He is opposed by first-time candidate Nicole Freeman.

Two polling locations will be available for Lake Hamilton voters on Tuesday between 7:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Royal, 7402 Albert Pike Road, and Piney Grove United Methodist Church, 2963 Airport Road.

Mills from real estate and personal property taxes generate less revenue for Cutter Morning Star and Mountain Pine than other schools in the county at $43,831 and $54,529. Approximate revenue per mill for the other districts in Garland County is $54,529 in Mountain Pine, $131,366 in Jessieville, $393,015 for Fountain Lake, $426,038 for Lake Hamilton, $454,873 for Lakeside and

$594,762 for Hot Springs.

Cutter Morning Star currently has the third-highest millage rate in Garland County at 40.5 and Mountain Pine is third-lowest at 37.9. State law requires all public school districts to maintain a minimum of 25 mills, known as the uniform rate of tax, for maintenance and operation.

The county’s other millage rates are Hot Springs, 42.1; Lake Hamilton, 40.6; Cutter; Jessieville, 38.7; Lakeside, 37.7; and Fountain Lake, 34.8. Millage rates for other districts in the area include Poyen,

46.7; Arkadelphia, 44.85; Benton, 41.9; Bismarck, 41; Centerpoint, 41; Magnet Cove, 39.18; Malvern, 37.65; and Mount Ida, 34.