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Ore City to decide on school bond

Voters in the Ore City Independent School Distrist will go to the polls Saturday (May 10) to decide the fate of a proposed $8.5 million bond issue.

The bond issue is for construction of a new elementary school campus, which would house grades Pre-K through third and serve up to 400 students, said John Markham III, chairman of a political action committee which is promoting the bond issue.

The polling place will be at Ore City City Hall, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Three candidates are also seeking two seats on the Ore City School Board. They include incumbents Jamie Pendarvis and Rod Grigsby Jr., and challenger Cory Coleman. A number of town hall meetings, a band concert and an elementary talent show were among things used over the last month to promote the bond issue.

Thirty-nine had voted early by the end of early voting Friday, said administrative assistant Sherry Sexton. Promoters of the bond issue cite the need for added facilities to eliminate serious overcrowding and provide for future growth.

The district currently only has one campus.

Markham said the school’s lone cafeteria serves about 900 meals a day, with the younger students starting to eat at 10:40 a.m., and the last high school group being served at 1 p.m.

“There is also a severe traffic problem with people dropping off and picking up children,” he said. “The new campus would take about 400 off the current campus.”

He feels confident the proposed bond issue will pass. “The general attitude is good—very, very positive,” Markham said. He said the bond proposal is “strictly for educational classrooms, not sports facilities.” A brochure promoting the bond issue states that the project is proposed because the existing elementary school is an “overcrowded, aging facility” with “undersized classrooms providing inadequate instructional space” and with an overcrowded cafeteria.

In addition, portable buildings now house four sections of third grade as well as the computer lab and music room. While the new campus would initially serve Pre-K through third grades, grades 4 and 5 would be added there at a future date when district funds are available.

The new campus would have a 50,000-square-foot building and a cafeteria with a full kitchen.

There would be 19 classrooms, a music room, a computer lab, a special education room and a library. There would also be administrative and instructional areas.

The existing elementary school building would receive minor changes to meet needs of the district.

Vacated space would provide room for band storage and rehearsal rooms, as well as central administration. This would allow the current administration building to accommodate the future growth of the high school.

The proposed bonds, if approved by voters, will be sold in August.

A $.1518 per $100 tax increase would be levied in October, if the legislature extends the Existing Debt Allotment (EDA) program. However, if the EDA program is not extended, the tax increase would be $.3982. The legislature has never failed to extend the EDA program.

The bonds would be paid off over 30 years, but the district will have the option to begin paying the debt off early after 10 years without penalty.

With state assistance, EDA, after a $15,000 exemption, the annual tax increase on a $75,000 house would be $91.08, and on a $100,000 house would be $129.03. The average home value in the Ore City school district was $45,600 in 2007.


Mirror Photo / Mary Laschinger Kirby
THIS SIGN PROMOTES the hope of those in the Ore City Independent School District who are supporting an $8.5 million bond issue for a new elementary school campus and other improvements. Voters in the district will vote on it Saturday.

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