Pleasant Grove Independent School District's Board of Trustees approved an order Thursday to canvass votes from the May 5 bond election.
There were a total of 1,815 votes, with 1,281 in favor and 534 against. Early voting results were 933 for and 238 against, with one provisional ballot for and one absentee ballot received May 7 against the measure.
Board President Fred Meisenheimer thanked the board and the meeting's attendees for their hard work in getting the bond passed.
"It was lot of effort and work by a lot of people, so thank you very much," he said.
The $19.9 million bond includes $250,000 for increased school security, $1.2 million for district technology upgrades, which are primarily infrastructure, and $18,519,862 for a new elementary school. This is the third time the district has gone out for a bond to build a new school, with the 2014 and 2015 propositions both failing.
Much of that opposition included the proposed location of the school, which would have been constructed on a parcel of property the district owned at Bringle Lake. In March, the board approved a $1.2 million bid from Aven Williamson for the property.
During Thursday's meeting, the board also passed a resolution authorizing Meisenheimer to execute a special warranty deed conveying the property to Williamson or his assignee and to execute any other documents necessary to close on the transaction.
During his monthly report to the board, elementary Principal Chad Blain said spirits were up on the campus this week.
"It's been an exciting week at the elementary school with the passing of the bond," he told the board. "You just don't know how much it does for staff morale. I've been there on the Mondays after the bond hasn't passed. It was like a punch in the stomach. We've been through that twice. The teachers have been so excited."
In other business, the board approved allowing full-time staff who live in other states to transfer their children to PG schools.
Superintendent Dr. Jason Smith said the district currently has two staff members who live in Arkansas who expressed the desire to have their children attend school in the district.
"I don't have a strong opinion on this other than the fact that we have some quality applicants that we have lost because we interview them and when they found out their kids could not come with them, they dropped out," he said. "We do have two quality staff members who we want to keep and we want them to stay and we want them to bring their children here. I do also think we could recruit some quality applicants."
These students would have to go through the same process as other transfer students, he said. He added that although the district receives funding from Texas for students who attend PG and live in other districts, they will receive no money from the state of Arkansas for these children.
The board also approved bids for maintenance and lawn service. They chose Abernathy and Olmstead-Kirk as primary suppliers for janitorial and custodial supplies and Reliance Plumbing Group for plumbing work.
The board also agreed to use Studio 360 to mow and maintain areas outside the school's fence line. Smith told the board they would save money contracting the service, rather than having the in-house lawn workers do it.
"It's cheaper for lawn company to do the work outside the fenced areas," he said. "It's cheaper to go out with a bid because it will save hiring an additional staff person by our calculations."
The district's Director of Business Derick Sibley gave the financial report, which shows the district's general fund revenue at $12.8 million of the $16.9 million estimated; expenditures are at $11 million of the budgeted $16.7 million. For tax collections, the Bowie County Assessor's Office has received $11.6 million of the $12.5 million levy.
Sibley also conducted a budget workshop during the meeting.
Estimated property values for 2018 are $803.9 million, which represents a 2 percent, or $11 million increase, over the 2017 certified values released at the end of July 2017.
The maintenance and operating tax levy from the estimated property values would be $9.65 million, with the interest and sinking tax estimated to be $3.23 million, for a total tax levy of $12.89 million. Current tax levy for the 2017-18 year is $12.49 million. Certified property values will be released on or before July 25.
In other business, the board accepted a donation from Texarkana Fence Co. valued at $3,750. The company will donate labor to install fencing for the varsity outfield at the middle school campus.
Smith reported that attendance is 2,130, with a 96 percent attendance rate.
The next meeting is scheduled for June 14.