A proposed millage tax increase to fund a second high school in the Bentonville School District failed Monday night, 58 to 42 percent.
The 6.7 mil increase would have paid for a new 2,000 student high school campus in Centerton and other improvements in the district.
There was a large voter turnout, 8,814 voters cast ballots in Tuesday’s election. Early voting numbers were also high, nearly 10 percent, according to election officials. However, the school district, encompassing only a portion of the county, has just 42,070 registered voters.
Superintendent Michael Poore said now that the measure has failed, the school district will find a solution to the overcrowded Bentonville High School. Some options include the use of portable classrooms and a split schedule to compensate for the overflow.
Poore also said the district will seek to have the issue put on the ballot next spring, which means the second high school wouldn’t be completed until 2016.
The Benton County Election Commission said these figures are unofficial numbers with all precincts in.