Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities

Dora School gets funding

Residents in the Dora school district voted Tuesday to increase taxes that will help fund a revamping of the school.

The bond passed by 124 to 78, or 61 percent of the vote.

“It’s wonderful and it will mean a whole lot for many, many years to the community of Dora,” Dora Schools Superintendent Jim Reed said. “It’s great to be able to bring the building up to date and get it where it will last another 30 or 40 years before we have to do much more.”

Property owners in the district will pay out $850,000 over the next 12 years, and the remaining money — about $6 million — will come from the State Department of Education Deficiencies Correction Unit and the Public School Capitol Outlay Council, Reed said.

The money will bring the timeworn building up to code in several key areas including electrical, plumbing, windows and doors — as well as a new library large enough for research and individual study, according to a pamphlet from the Committee for Dora School’s Future.

Reed said the school was wired in 1964, and hasn’t been since — citing constant brown outs as evidence.

Livestock owners will take the brunt of the taxes levied over the 12-year period.

Cattle owners now pay $2.52 annually per head, a rate that will increase to $3.09 annually now that the bond has passed. Bull owners will see their $4.95 annual tax per bull raised to $6.09 a year.

Roosevelt County Commissioner Tom Clark, a farmer/rancher who lives in Rogers, said Friday the taxes levied on livestock owners is too excessive.

“I can’t afford it,” Clark said. “I support the school at Dora; I think we need to do some things at Dora to extend the life of the buildings there. But I don’t think the cattle and dairy industry can stand this sort of an increase.”

The Dora School District encompasses the communities of Causey, Pep, Milnesand and Rogers.

 
 
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