South Point – South Point school officials and children need the community’s help if the district will be able to replace its buildings anytime soon.

Wednesday, April 19, 2000

South Point – South Point school officials and children need the community’s help if the district will be able to replace its buildings anytime soon. A public meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. May 4 at the high school to discuss the 4.84-mill property tax levy, which would supply $7.1 million in local matching funds to $23.4 million in state building assistance funding to construct a new high school and consolidated elementary school. The money also would be used to renovate the current high school into a middle school.

The measure failed in the November and February elections.

"We want to invite and encourage all residents of the district to come out to discuss the Classroom Facilities Assistance Program," superintendent Rick Waggoner said. "We want to hear what they think about the bond levy and ask questions. We want all the rumors brought out and the truth brought out to a huge crowd."

The district has until May 25 to decide whether or not it will pay to have a special election Aug. 8, Waggoner said.

And if it were up to the board members, the district would go ahead and give it a third and final try, he added.

"The board of education has said in open meeting that they would like to bring this issue before the people," Waggoner said. "Their jobs as board members are to act in the best interest of South Point residents and they feel that this is the best way to act in the best interest of the school children and community members."

But the district will not have another election if the community does not want it, Waggoner said.

"We want to encourage parents, senior citizens and people who are in the district, maybe young couples who don’t have any children in the schools, to come to the public meeting," he said. "It will depend on that meeting whether or not they have the election. We need a good response so we will know what direction the community wants the board of education to go."

There will be a presentation by district architect Clyde Henry, of Triad Architects, concerning the new school project. Members of the community will then break up into small groups to discuss the possibility of a third election.

If South Point does not have this election or if the measure fails again, the district will lose out on more than $23 million in state funds, Waggoner said.

"This is our third time around," Waggoner said. "If we don’t pass it, it will go to other districts. That leaves us with what we have. We’ll just have to continue to provide a good education for the students with the buildings we have."