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Bentonville School District Asking For Millage Increase

BENTONVILLE (KFSM) — The Bentonville School District is asking for a 1.9 millage increase. The district only has one school in Bella Vista with more than ...

BENTONVILLE (KFSM) -- The Bentonville School District is asking for a 1.9 millage increase. The district only has one school in Bella Vista with more than 700 students.

If the millage increase passes, they would be able to build another school in anticipation for more growth.

Bella Vista Mayor Peter Christie said 2,700 are bused or taken by their parents in Bentonville for school every day.

"It's just darn inconvenient for parents and it's just not good for kids to be on buses that long. We've always wanted to have more schools locally," Christie said.

The district has agreed to purchase more than 100 acres on the edge of Bella Vista, along with more land in other parts of the county to build four new schools in five years.

"To me the millage makes sense because it's going to keep our property values up. People are moving here for our economy, for our low taxes, low property taxes. They are moving here for a quality of life and we have to maintain the quality of life."

Will Corporon has four children in the district and said Bentonville is providing his children a great education, but with the expected growth more space is needed.

"The more crowed you are the more street it is on the kids, on the teachers, on the facilities, on the system and it just doesn't make good economic sense," Corporon said. "We want are kids to get the highest quality education that they can and in order to do that we have to provide the facilities and the teachers that they need."

The millage increase will equal out to $38 a year for someone who owns a $100,000 house.

Prior to the election on May 9 there will be two informational sessions on April 27 at 6 p.m. at Centerton Administration Building and May 2 meeting is at 6 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Bentonville.

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