Elkins’ incoming superintendent already getting down to business
Posted on Saturday, April 26, 2008
ELKINS — Incoming Superintendent Mike Harris doesn’t officially start until July 1, but he has already started the process of working with board members and evaluating school business.
Harris, currently the principal of an alternative learning center in Benton, met with the Elkins Board of Education Friday to discuss upcoming issues the district will be dealing with in the near future.
Among them, the Arkansas Department of Education’s facilities division has approved financial assistance on the construction of six new classrooms and a gym for Elkins Primary School.
The department will provide up to $ 1. 1 million on the project, which represents about 64 percent of the estimated cost, Harris said. This means the school district would have to fund the remainder of the project.
“ We may need this building, ” Harris said.
A challenge is determining how to pay for the district’s share of the project and determine whether enrollment and anticipated growth warrants the project.
Member Bryan Delozier said he would be reticent to try to finance the project with a tax increase request, as the district has a long-term plan to also build a new high school. Dipping into a building fund or getting a loan might be a better option.
Harris also discussed plans to update the board’s policy on drugs and alcohol. He plans to have principals at the schools form a committee to make a recommendation, then the board can evaluate the recommendation and make changes members believe are necessary.
The board and Harris also discussed how the state is expected to provide the district with $ 61, 000 to make up for shortfalls in local property tax elections.
The state guarantees funding based on a 98 percent collection rate of local taxes. If the collection rate is less than that amount, then they provide the district funds to make up the difference.
Conversely, there were 14 districts in the state that had collection rates greater than 98 percent and they have to give some money back to the state, Harris said.
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