Frequently Asked Questions

Much like a home mortgage a milllage is essentially a construction loan that gets paid by a portion of our school property tax. A school district borrows money in the form of bonds to finance new schools and renovation projects. Both are repaid over time, but in order for a school district to sell bonds, it must go to the voters for approval. By law, bond funds may not be used to fund daily operating expenses or salaries. Bond funds may only be used for the projects described in the proposal.

On March 12, 2018, the Board of Education voted unanimously to ask voters for a 5.558 millage increase

1. to better secure all campuses,
2. to expand 1:1 technology on all campuses,
3. to develop a career and technical education program and facility and
4. to improve student achievement and the efficient use of buildings and personnel throughout the district. See the proposal.

Last fall, the Vision 2023 Strategic Planning process brought together more than 180 students, educators, parents and community leaders to design and develop a new five-year plan for the district. This planning process set the stage for a 57-person Citizens Committee who reviewed the Strategic Plan and prioritized the needs identified during the Vision 2023 Strategic Planning process. After five weeks of intense study and deliberation, the Citizens Committee proposed a set of projects to the Board of Education. The Board of Education directed the administration to find ways to refine the proposal. After the administration did this, the Board accepted the Citizens Committee proposal as revised.

The millage proposal approved by the Board of Education calls for an additional $121,647,570.00 in funding. Of this amount, $120,822,570.00 will fund financed projects. Additionally, $825,000.00 of the millage increase will be used to pay for annual recurring costs for 1:1 technology for Grades 3-12 throughout the district. See the proposal here.

The funds will be used to enhance and improve safety and security on each campus, to expand and maintain instructional technology, to develop a career and technical education program and facility, and to improve student achievement and the efficient use of buildings and staff. Safety projects include the enclosure of open classrooms at four elementary schools and one junior high, the addition of two tornado shelters at each of the district’s high schools, additional security cameras, secure vestibules at each campus, and a district-wide secure-access entry system. The additional dollars will be used to pay for the continuing replacement of 1:1 computer devices with a four-year cycle. New revenue will be used to pay for necessary renovations and additions at the district’s two high schools which include ninth-grade centers and competition gyms at each. The millage increase will also fund the development of a robust and state-of-the-art career and technical education program and facility in order to provide students with expanded opportunities to develop skills that they can use to secure high paying employment immediately following graduation.

Bond proceeds cannot be used for employee salaries, raises, recurring bills, utility expenses, maintenance costs, rentals, or other operating costs.

The design phase of the proposed construction projects will begin immediately if a millage referendum is successful on May 22. Construction on some of the smaller-scope projects could begin as early as 2019.

The last successful millage election was held in September 1987. This election increased the taxpayer responsibility to 36.5 mills from 30.3. The district requested a millage increase in 2002. That referendum was unsuccessful.

The financial impact of the proposed millage package would be $9.26 per $100,000 of assessed property value.

If you are 65 years old or older, or are 100% disabled, the assessment value on your residence is frozen. If the millage proposal passes, your assessment will remain the same. The millage rate will increase 5.558 mills from 36.5 mills to 42.058 mills.

School districts use local funds collected for maintenance and operations. In this case, the Fort Smith Public Schools will use the additional revenues generated by the millage increase to fund the proposed projects.

Visit the Fort Smith Public School District’s Millage 2018 page for more information on the millage request and the District’s Citizens Committee and Vision 2023 pages for background information on the process used to prioritize the projects of greatest need.

Act 910 of 2017 eliminated the September election date for school board members. Instead, school districts have been required to select either a May or November election date. Our board voted to establish a May election date, which means that Board elections will be on May 22 this year.

Early voting runs from May 7-21. A list of voting locations is attached that includes early voting sites and times that they will be open. All eligible voters in Sebastian County can vote at any designated early voting site. Another new feature this year is that all eligible voters in Sebastian County can vote at any Vote Center on Election Day, May 22. The attachment also includes a list of Election Day Vote Centers, which will be open from 7:30 AM to 7:30 PM on Election Day.

Eligible voters who live within the Fort Smith School District in Fort Smith and Barling are eligible to vote in FSPS elections scheduled for May 22.

Voters can use this link to determine quickly whether they are registered to vote. If they are registered, the site will tell them in which districts they live and where to vote. The deadline to register to vote is April 23.