Ballot question proposed a cap on Conway school-tax growth

What happened

At the Nov. 3 vote, Conway residents were to decide whether to limit annual growth in the school district property-tax levy to the prior year's amount adjusted for inflation and new construction. The question also proposed a 6% cap on SAU central-office spending; both limits could be overridden under state law.

Why it matters to families

If approved by the required three-fifths vote, the caps could constrain future funding for school operations. Officials said they could not forecast the effect for FY2028; their one-year illustration put Conway's levy limit at $854,000–$1.09 million, compared with a $752,000 budget increase, and was explicitly not a forecast.

The evidence

At the Oct. 26 public hearing, SAU staff described the proposed caps and said they would first apply in FY2028 if adopted. They reported Conway's illustrative levy limits of $854,000 and $1.09 million using 0% and 1% net new property growth, against a $752,000 increase from FY2026 to FY2027; the board said it would neither support nor oppose the ballot question. (Transcript 00:01:41–00:01:46, 00:03:34–00:04:20, 00:05:54–00:05:59, 00:13:18–00:13:39, 00:19:03–00:19:36.)

The source