Caddo Hills Bond meeting set for Thursday

DEWAYNE HOLLOWAY/dewayne@mcnews.online

Caddo Hills Superintendent Deric Owens will host the last of the scheduled school bond initiative informational meetings February 6 and 17. The school district is asking voters to extend a current bond to allow for upgrades to the school cafeteria, PE Gym and parking areas.

The February 6 meeting will be held at the Sulpher Springs Baptist Church at 6 p.m., while the February 17 meeting will be held at the Caddo Hills Cafeteria at 6 p.m.

The proposed bond initiative will appear on the ballot in March. Residents in the Caddo Hills School District currently pay 33.8 mils in property taxes. The current rate is the 28th lowest in the state out of over 250 districts. The current millage is being used to pay off a bond purchased several years ago with seven years remaining on the bond.

The Caddo Hills School District is seeking to extend the millage rate to fund a new bond initiative that will generate approximately $1.8 million for the district to use for construction.

Superintendent Owens has stated on several occasions that he wants people to understand that regardless of how the wording may read on the ballot voting yes will not increase the millage rate. 

Owens stated that he believes the way information is listed on the ballot could be confusing to some people. The ballot will ask people to “Vote For Tax,” or “Vote Against Tax.” Voting for the tax will not increase the amount of taxes paid and voting against it will not lower anyone’s taxes.

If passed the money generated would pay for a major renovation in the cafeteria that would include removing the stage and an adjoining classroom. This would allow the district to expand and update the current dining area and serving area. They would also be able to increase kitchen space.

The stage would be relocated to the PE Gym. Renovations at the PE Gym would include the new stage with dressing rooms, a new classroom and bathrooms. There would also be an entryway added to the existing structure. An additional 4,900 square feet of space would be added to the gym in the project.

There is also a possibility that air conditioning could be installed in the basketball gym.

Owens has hosted several informational meetings across the district regarding the proposed bond initiative The purpose of the meetings is to educate the residents of the Caddo Hills School District about the bond initiative.

The school district announced they would be seeking the bond initiative late last year. Owens stated at the first meeting held in January that if the bond initiative doesn’t pass this year the district will present another bond initiative when the current bond is paid in full. 

Informational material has been mailed to everyone in the district in an effort to provide as much information as possible.

For more information please call (870) 356-5700.

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