Prothro answers allegations in flier
By LEWIS DELAVAN News editor

Benton school Superintendent Tony Prothro said a flier being circulated by an opponent of the millage increase contains "inflammatory, uncivil and emotional language" and a number of falsehoods.

Misinformation over Benton School District's proposed 6.5-mill increase has been spread by opponents, Superintendent Tony Protho said.

A printed flier being circulated by a group against the tax proposal uses "inflammatory, uncivil and emotional language" to discredit the Benton School District, using words as "weasel, dishonest and deceptive" to play on the emotions of patrons, Protho said.

The flier also contends that there is a "giant slush fund," which is untrue, he said. All school districts receive annual Joint Legislative Audit reviews, and auditors would catch a "slush fund."

"The rest of the propaganda is filled with misinformation and inaccuracies that can be easily refuted," he said. "Although it was reported that figures were obtained from the Benton School District superintendent's office, the figures have been grossly misrepresented and inaccurately portrayed."

Early voting began this week and continues through Monday at the Saline County Voting Center at 221 N. Main St., with polls open 7:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 11. Renovating Benton High School is a priority in the proposal, with all schools in the district scheduled to receive improvements.

The superintendent urged patrons to visit the high school and junior high school buildings to see why renovations are needed. He said the district must meet state mandates for buildings, or face state takeover.

Prothro said he wanted to stress several key points, using "factual data that can be easily verified:"

1. Benton School District received a Freedom of Information Act request with a return address indicating a Bryant School District resident's address (not Benton) in December 2007. This has been the only FOI request received concerning the 2008 millage campaign. The question is, Prothro said, "What would a Bryant School District taxpayer have to gain by being opposed to a Benton School District millage increase? 2. The clause, "The surplus revenues produced each year by the debt service millage may be used by the district for other school purposes" is contained in both the 2003 and 2008 millage proposals that is evident on the voting ballot in both elections. "There is nothing dishonest or deceptive in this clause," Prothro said. "It is evident and in clear language that the school district may use these funds for any school purpose. The thrust is to imply that the district is squandering those surplus revenues. However, it is important to note in the following information how the district is actually using those funds."

3. The flier states, "New growth in Benton and ever-increasing property tax assessments produced $816,770 in new unrestricted funds for 2007 from that 2003 tax increase." Prothro said this information is "inaccurate and untrue." The FOI request specifically asked about 10.4 mills, which is the total current debt service millage for the district. "The increase in 2003 was for a 4.9 mill increase, which is clearly evident on the ballot," Prothro said. The district could legally have been given a 13.5 mill increase, but instead chose to restructure and meet immediate needs without the "huge statemandated increase." The actual new growth from the 2003 assessment to the assessment for the 2007 tax payment is $34,371,248. The increase in assessment multiplied by the 2003 increase of 4.9 mills results in a surplus of $168,419 (not $816,770). "Even if you calculate the increase in assessment from 2003 to the assessment for the 2007 tax payment at the full 10.4 mills of existing debt service, the surplus is $357,460 (not $816,770)," Prothro said.

4. The propaganda from the opposition also states that there is a "… giant slush fund over and above the Equal and Adequate school funding mandates!" The remodeling of the high school and the junior high, along with the classroom additions at the middle school and elementary campuses, are a direct result of the district's thrust to meet the "equal-andadequate school-funding mandates."

"The district must address adequacy needs or face state sanctions and takeover of local control," Prothro said.

5. Even if an observer takes the flier's inaccurate figure as the new growth in Benton (since 2003) and ever-increasing property tax assessments, the district must ultimately account for how funds are being spent. The district, through the FOI, accounted for the following actual expenditures that could be classified as the status of surplus funds:
Furniture and expenditures:
$137, 433.27
Technology equipment and
supplies $263,224.35
Buses:

$169,440.00
Textbooks:
$295,197.37
Total:
$865,294.99

This is a result in $48,524.32 more in expenditures than the $816,770 figure. You can also add the following expenditures and transfers in 2006 that could also be classified as expenditures from surplus revenue:
Facility upgrades
$99,622.28
Facility repairs
$83,171.16
Transfer to building fund
$450,000.00
Total
$632,793.44
Overall total expenditures/
transfers
$1,498,088.43

The $450,000 transfer is setaside money that is slated for future renovations and additions to school facilities.

Patrons are welcome to pick and choose which expenditures are allowable to come from the millage increase. Regardless, it is evident that the district is spending much more than surplus revenue generated from the 2003 millage increase of 4.9 mills to equip, maintain, and expand facilities.

It is also noteworthy to indicate that the district took out second-lien bond payments in the amount of $2,502,655.05 in 2006 to finish the science/ technology building and build the fine arts building without coming to the patrons for a tax increase.

Officials running for office and tax proponents have been scolded for using children as an incentive in campaigns.

However, the opposition to the tax increase asks "Do we want to leave this 32-year tax as a legacy for our children and grandchildren to pay?"

"The easy response is to ask patrons to view the out-of-date facilities at the high school and junior high," Prothro said. "Please visit the overcrowding in our elementary and middle schools. Then decide on what kind of school facilities we want our children and grandchildren to learn in every day.

"The choice is up to the patrons to decide. However let's not be fooled by emotional word plays or inaccurate data," Prothro said.