SELMA — The school board soon will petition the Dallas County Commission to call an election Nov. 2 to see if voters will approve a 3-mill tax to help finance the building of a new high school.

The tax has been on the books since 1901 and will not require legislative approval, said Don Jefferson, the interim superintendent of Selma City Schools. Jefferson revealed the plan during his report at a school board work session Tuesday.

A mill is 0.001 or $1 per $1,000 of property value.

The school board will request a letter of support from the Selma City Council and Mayor George Evans before presenting its request to the county commission.

Jefferson said the original $20 million for construction of the new high school is not enough. “With the tax, we will be able to get a $40-to-$45 million school, which we deserve,” he said.

School board president Henry Hicks said he supports the resolution and efforts to obtain the money.

“At the end of the day, the people have a right to vote,” he said.

Hicks and Jefferson told other school board members the cost of construction of the high school has reached $21 million already because the Alabama Department of Education requires construction of a storm shelter on site. The storm shelter was not considered in the original plans.

The school system has spent $1.4 million already on the project.

“The train has already pulled off, guys. It’s already pulled off,” Hicks said.

All but one school board member supported the move to have a special election for the 3 mills. Holland Powell said he would like to see a new high school constructed, but is concerned the school system does not have the money to pay the note.

Powell pointed out the 3 mills would generate $370,860, which is not enough to pay for the new school construction.

“Build a new school,” he said to other members of the board. “You’ll be broke in three months. It won’t pass. We don’t have the money to do it.”

Payments on the school construction would cost the school system $979,000 per year, Jefferson said, citing documents from the state Department of Education.

The interim superintendent said the system could generate additional revenue by closing two schools, if necessary, but closing two schools with low student enrollment would not generate the needed revenue alone.

Earlier this year former school system superintendent Austin Obasohan had suggested closing the School of Discovery. The school costs more than $635,000 each year to operate. Obasohan also had recommended cutting staff in the Central Office to save $350,000. Both measures would provide most of the $1.4 million needed to pay off the debt service each year for construction of the new high school, Obasohan said at the time.

The former superintendent left the system to become superintendent in a school system in North Carolina. The school board never acted on his recommendations because Obasohan withdrew them from the table when he tendered his resignation in May.

Dallas County Probate Judge Kim Ballard, who is chairman of the county commission, said he is unaware of any call for an election on the 3-mill tax.

It is uncertain if the election would be held countywide or just inside the city of Selma. Ballard said he would examine the law to see.

Plans for the new high school are drawn. Ray Matthiews, director of auxiliary services for the school system, said the request for bids to construct the new high school were sent, a pre-bid conference held, and Sept. 14 is the bid opening date.

The school system has secured $20 million from stimulus money available through the Qualified School Construction Bond, and would have to pay back that money over the term of the loan, which originally was 15 years.