“I would be mistaken if I didn’t get up here and say I’m a little bit disappointed. The way we’re acting, the way we’re acting as adults. Everybody is entitled to the yes, everybody is entitled to the no but there’s no reason to make this thing ugly,” BIC superintendent Gaylon Taylor said.

These words were among the first to be said at the public meeting Tuesday night in the Leachville cafeteria for the millage vote.

The meeting, scheduled for 7 p.m. in Monette, had some last minute adjustments when a city wide power outage happened about an hour before the meeting.

BIC community members have a vote on September 16 with the purpose to increase the current millage in order to build a new k-12 school in between Monette and Leachville. If the proposed 9 mil increase passes it will last for 30 years.

Last week two meetings were held to give community members a chance to ask questions and have the facts presented to them. Speakers included teachers, principals, and one student all giving reasons why they think voting yes is a good idea.

Taylor spoke about how the current situation will not work. BIC is behind in technology and its facilities are old.

Some of the supporters believe the only way for BIC to be truly one school is by bringing them together while others believe the schools need to say in their towns.

Signs can be seen across both towns either in support or opposition to the millage.

Pass or fail BIC will be changed by the vote on the millage vote. Dr. Kima Stewart, West Elementary principal, explained during the first meeting that if the millage does fail something else will have to be done.

A final public meeting will be held at the West Elementary cafeteria in Monette on September 2  with the vote coming up behind it on September 16.