In preparation for the Pearl River County School District bond election on March 7, the District will host a community meeting on Feb. 16 at 6:30 p.m. to inform the public about the bond and the projects it would fund.
The District is requesting an accumulation of bonds equaling $17 million to pay for all the District’s needs, including the repair and remodeling of classroom facilities at the McNeill and Carriere campuses, replacing restrooms and repairing concession facilities next to the football stadium, erecting a performing arts center at the Carriere campus, constructing a new central office facility and renovating and repairing current facilities at all campuses.
PRC School District Superintendent Alan Lumpkin said the push to update the facilities is due to rapid enrollment growth. Just this past year, the district saw an increase of 200 students, previous Item reports state.
“Our community is growing,” Lumpkin said. “The schools need to grow alongside the community to offer safe and effective learning facilities for the students.”
Lumpkin said he has three priorities; the first is to get rid of the mobile classrooms and trailers at both campuses, which also house central offices for the district.
“The safety of our students is our number one priority, and they deserve a better atmosphere to learn than inside of a trailer,” Lumpkin said.
The second priority is to provide a multi-purpose auditorium and the performing arts center at the high school to benefit the students as well as the community.
The third priority is to construct STEM classrooms while saving enough money to update older classrooms in the district. Updating, instead of demolishing, the old classrooms will help house the expanding enrollment in the district.
During PRC home football games, fans are currently limited to using a portable restroom. However, with this multi-million dollar bond, the District plans to replace the portable bathrooms with a permanent structure. Plans also aim to update the concession facilities, Lumpkin said.
If passed, the bond would increase ad valorem taxes by six dollars per month on a home valued at $100,000. Land, mobile home and vehicle taxes would increase by $1 per month, according to a bond informational release.
Lumpkin and the PRC School District invite the community to participate in Thursday’s community meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the PRCHS cafeteria.