Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District Superintendent Lewis Holloway said the mechanism needed to fund a new partnership school on Mississippi State University’s campus could occur in early 2016.
Holloway made his comments Monday, ahead of Tuesday’s school board agenda, which included an item to allow architectural firms JH&H Architects and Perkins and Will to develop plans for the grades 6-7 campus.
The SOCSD Board of Trustees’ action is a minor step needed in the process to construct a school in which all Oktibbeha County students will attend. Since the project involves MSU property, final approval for all facets of the plan rests with the State College Board.
Caron Blanton, communications director for the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning, confirmed a selection committee previously reviewed requests for proposals. She was unsure when the final approval would be placed on the State College Board’s agenda.
Holloway said the school district will hold a reverse referendum to fund the project, which will utilize about 4 tax mills rolling off the books in October 2016, in January or February 2016.
Officials will have a firm idea of the projected costs once plans are developed, but Holloway said the estimated 126,000-square-foot facility will service almost 1,000 students with about 50 classrooms. Other amenities, including space for administration, faculty support, meals, library services, fine arts and physical education will be provided.
Previously, officials estimated the school’s cost at about $30 million.
About $10 million is expected to come from local sources, and MSU has dedicated $10 million toward the project already, including the $5 million worth of campus property.
Taxes should remain near current levels, he said, if state lawmakers honor an additional request for $10 million in funding.
“It’ll take about six to nine months to develop the plans and another 18 months to build it. We anticipate the move-in date for July 2018,” Holloway said. “We do expect the Legislature to help contribute.”
Former Oktibbeha County School District Conservator Margie Pulley attempted a $13.2 million reverse referendum in February to pay for new school construction and rehabilitation projects to existing campuses but met resistance from county taxpayers opposing the lack of a public vote on the issuance.
Pulley pulled the bond intent notice after petitioners gathered enough signatures to force the financing package to a countywide vote.
Historically, OCSD’s voter base has not supported school improvement bonds.
Residents of OCSD’s territory saw their school taxes increase this year after the Legislature approved a debt-sharing bill between the former county school district and the former Starkville School District. City school district residents, however, saw their bills decrease since SSD carried more school-improvement debt than its county counterpart.
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
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