The Bentonville School district is tallying the results of a survey asking voters why the millage for a second high school failed.
The district sent questionnaires to about 8000 households asking if they voted for or against the millage and why after voters shot down the $128 million package in June.
"It failed," says Superintendent Mike Poore. "We heard pretty loud and clear from the voters that in a 58 to 42 margin that they weren't accepting of that package."
Poore says the survey will help the district put together a second package, that would go before voters in 2013.
"The need is still there," Poore says. "In fact we had record enrollment in terms of our growth this year."
Mary Ley, the district's executive director of communication says about 900 surveys still need to be counted, but the main cause is already obvious.
"It is very loud and clear and we have to listen, the millage was just too high," she says. "I think people still feel really economically stressed, and they worry about their property taxes going up."
Ley says responders also voiced concern about the $23 million price tag for full athletic facilities.
"Our community really respects academic excellence and see that as our main role in the school," she says. "They're really hoping we can focus on how we can deliver that at the lowest price."
Poore says the information will be key, when the board starts working on a second package.
"If we don't get this right it ends up that the state could really have a hand in it," he says. "They actually would go into state physical distress mode for this school district. They could replace the superintendent, could replace the board of education or could take control of our finances."
Ley hopes the survey results will help keep that from happening.
"People have been very good about writing exactly how they felt and we'll flesh this out and try to find the best solution," she says. "It's going to be hard to make everyone happy but we are going to do our best."
The district will have a new school board elected in October, and Poor says they will work quickly to put together a second package. He says another special election will likely take place in May or later, in the Fall of next year.
"Once we get our new board seated, things will start to move on a fairly aggressive timeline," Poore says.
The district sent questionnaires to about 8000 households asking if they voted for or against the millage and why after voters shot down the $128 million package in June.
"It failed," says Superintendent Mike Poore. "We heard pretty loud and clear from the voters that in a 58 to 42 margin that they weren't accepting of that package."
Poore says the survey will help the district put together a second package, that would go before voters in 2013.
"The need is still there," Poore says. "In fact we had record enrollment in terms of our growth this year."
Mary Ley, the district's executive director of communication says about 900 surveys still need to be counted, but the main cause is already obvious.
"It is very loud and clear and we have to listen, the millage was just too high," she says. "I think people still feel really economically stressed, and they worry about their property taxes going up."
Ley says responders also voiced concern about the $23 million price tag for full athletic facilities.
"Our community really respects academic excellence and see that as our main role in the school," she says. "They're really hoping we can focus on how we can deliver that at the lowest price."
Poore says the information will be key, when the board starts working on a second package.
"If we don't get this right it ends up that the state could really have a hand in it," he says. "They actually would go into state physical distress mode for this school district. They could replace the superintendent, could replace the board of education or could take control of our finances."
Ley hopes the survey results will help keep that from happening.
"People have been very good about writing exactly how they felt and we'll flesh this out and try to find the best solution," she says. "It's going to be hard to make everyone happy but we are going to do our best."
The district will have a new school board elected in October, and Poor says they will work quickly to put together a second package. He says another special election will likely take place in May or later, in the Fall of next year.
"Once we get our new board seated, things will start to move on a fairly aggressive timeline," Poore says.
