The bottom line is that the problems are so great that a bond issue will be required to do needed repairs on Simpson County schools.
This, according to Carl Bailey of the Bailey Group, is the only way to address the physical plant needs in Simpson County.
Bailey was hired as a consultant to help develop a building plan for the school district to serve the needs of the county and also make sure that funds spent would prove to be a wise long term investment.
Bailey provided the school board with four primary options. The first was to build a new consolidated high school and rejuvenate other existing facilities to improve them and provide what was termed as “much needed security.” However, Bailey told the board that this would be cost prohibitive in the district’s current situation. The cost would be near $70 million just to build the new school and address other facilities’ physical needs. It does not address athletic facilities.
Bailey told the board that feedback from three public meetings held at Magee and Mendenhall high schools and Simpson Central shows that people in the county were not willing to merge to have a single high school campus.
The least expensive option presented by Bailey was the plan to make needed repairs to the existing facilities, which are expected to run at least $27 million. That, too, would require the passage of a bond issue. It would include expanding the elementary schools in both Magee and Mendenhall to add sixth grade.
Mendenhall 7th and 8th graders would move to the high school. Magee 7th and 8th graders would attend Magee Middle School. Some said that would be better for the students because they would not face so many changes of school. The high school in both communities would then start with seventh grade.
Simpson Central, a K-8th grade school, has had the highest grades in the district consistently for years.
The current Mendenhall Middle School campus would be closed because of its low level and constant flooding problem.
Parts of the Magee Middle School facility would be razed razed and the campus on the west end would be closed this is because of security issues and the ability to maintain security on the campus because it is so large.
Bailey told the board they also has as an option to do nothing. At a later time during the meeting board member Danny Cowart suggested he felt it would be well worth the time to get a second opinion to ensure the board had the best options and would be cost effective.
This was what Bailey termed as a summary of what his group had been able to summarize thus far and the board could expect much more data moving forward.
So the big deal is how much will this cost the tax payers of Simpson County if they agree to pass a school bond. According to Bailey, Simpson County millage is low for operations of schools. The county is current levying 42.77 mils for operation. A mill is determined by the assessed valuation of the county. In Jeff Davis County the millage is 51.54 for school and Scott County is 43.16.
At 3.5 mills the annual increase on a $100 thousand home would be an additional $70 and on a $15 thousand automobile it would be an additional $15.75 a year. So depending on what you have an increase of about $100 a year to fund a 3.5 mill increase.
Another way for this to be addressed is through the school board and their annual funding request. The board is authorized to raise taxes up to four percent each year without having to have a referendum. It can go as high as seven percent but that calls for approval of the voters.
Our schools are in dire need of renovation and the only way for that to happen is for the school district to get the funds needed to make the improvements. It only takes three of the five board members to pass their budget.
