R-4 school district bond issue back on ballot

BENTON, Mo. -- On April 2, the Scott County R-4 School District's voters will step up to the polls for the sixth time to decide the fate of the reoccurring bond issue. This time, the district promises the proposal is a winning plan that will cost voters as little as possible.

"We tried to come up with a proposal that wouldn't fail," Superintendent Don Moore said. "The biggest issue that we found was that the previous proposals cost too much so we downscaled and cut some areas."

These cuts helped decrease the proposal amount by $1.9 million.

The new bond issue, which aims at the construction of a new high school facility, includes the addition of more classrooms, a new computer lab, library, science classrooms and a family and consumer science classroom.

He said the district tried to get as economical as possible for the taxpayers, starting with a 75 percent reduction in the amount of the tax increase. In November 2000, the bond issue proposed was $4.9 million, which would have required a 75-cent increase in debt service tax. This time the school district has cut the amount back to $3 million, and, if passed, would result in a 19-cent increase in debt service tax.

Currently, Scott County R-4 School District has the second cheapest tax rate of the seven school districts in Scott County at $3.17. Kelso C-7 has the cheapest at $2.75. If the bond issue passes, the tax rate will increase to $3.36, while still remaining cheaper than Scott County Central, Chaffee and Oran school districts.

In fact, Moore said, the proposed bond issue will raise the current debt service tax of 42 cents to 61 cents, which is the same amount it was in 1993, 1994 and 1995.

Moore indicated several reasons the bond is needed.

Need for space

Currently, 13 classrooms are located in mobile units. Also, hallways are dangerously overcrowded, he said. The school's larger classrooms have been subdivided into two or three classrooms, he added.

Construction of new facility will not only benefit the high school, but also the elementary and middle schools, Moore said. No space exists for additional sections at the grade school level. Elementary grade levels that just a few years ago only required two classes, now make up four and five sections.

Moore has all ready been several places to discuss the bond issue; there is a meeting set at the Blodgett Fire Department at 7 p.m. today.