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Mathews board to seek 2-mill levy on ballot
By JORDAN COHEN
VIENNA
The Mathews school board has voted to put a 2-mill permanent- improvement levy on the November ballot.
The board chose that rather than a $16 million bond issue. The bonds would have been used to finance two new school buildings. The decision came after a school board meeting lasting more than five hours Wednesday.
Board member Tarin Brown said that it became obvious during the late-night discussions that the majority of the board felt the bond issue would not be received favorably by district voters. Brown said the board did not vote on the issue.
“We felt that we didn’t need to go any further with it,” Brown said, “and we didn’t want to have two [tax] issues on the ballot at the same time.”
Last November, Mathews voters overwhelmingly rejected a $22.5 million bond issue to build a kindergarten through 12th grade building, and the size of that rejection apparently was a factor in the board’s decision.
“I’m in complete agreement with the board’s decision,” said Superintendent Lee Seiple.
The board still faces sizable expenditures because it plans to close Neal Middle School in June 2011 and must relocate its students.
Two options are under consideration. One is to purchase four modular classrooms and connect them to Mathews High School at an estimated cost of $200,000.
The second option is to renovate the high school’s third floor to increase classroom space at an estimated cost of $374,000.
“We have to make sure we have the facilities available for the seventh- and eighth-grade kids when Neal closes,” Brown said.
Sixth-grade students will be moved to Baker Elementary.
Seiple said the board will discuss the two options during its next regular meeting July 21 and, at the moment, he does not plan to make a recommendation.
“I’ll let the board decide if I need to start looking for four trailers or at plans for renovation,” the superintendent said.