Rebel Controversy Could Have Lasting Impact

Fort Smith was not immune from the rush to banish Confederate iconography in the wake of the June 17 massacre at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina.

On June 23, the Fort Smith School Board, convening as a committee of the whole, voted to pull the Southside High School fight song, Dixie, beginning in 2015-2016, and the Rebels mascot, more specifically, the Confederate soldier Johnny Reb, in 2016-2017.

The school board convenes on July 27 to revisit the issue. You think just a few people will be there for that one?

Meanwhile, there are three seats on the school board up for grabs during the September 15 election. And most importantly, the board has unanimously approved a $70 million improvement plan that calls for renovations or expansions at five schools in the district, including Southside. But the district will need a millage increase — something that hasn’t happened since 1987 — to be able to pay for it.

Think about it. Fort Smith, at 36.5 mills, is at the bottom of the barrel when compared to Rogers (38.4), Springdale (40.5), Fayetteville (45.65) and Bentonville (46.6). If Fort Smith is going to do something special with its district, it’ll need cash, which means millage, which means votes, which means community support.

And it’s that last piece of the puzzle that seems to be in question right now. Will Johnny Reb have the last laugh?

Stay tuned.