Board Eyes High School Issue

Work Session Set For Thursday

BENTONVILLE — The School Board will hold a work session Thursday in part to continue discussing a proposal to build a second high school.

The board agreed in January to put a second high school millage increase before voters and hopes to finalize its proposal at its regularly scheduled meeting May 20. An election is likely to happen in September.

Some time before their May meeting, board members intend to hold a series of public meetings throughout the district to solicit input from the community on the high school issue.

At A Glance

School Board Work Session

• When: 5:30 p.m. Thursday

• Where: Bentonville Schools Administration Building, 500 Tiger Blvd., Bentonville

“We’re looking at reaching out to the community by zone to get feedback from the community on what they would like to see and what they think we can do to get (the millage) to pass,” said Willie Cowgur, board vice president.

Board member Rudy Upshaw said it’s important to remember the School District is more than just Bentonville. The district covers about 140 square miles and includes Bella Vista, Centerton and Cave Springs.

“It can be very difficult to make all those parties happy throughout the process,” Upshaw said. “There are some different facets we have to think through strategically.”

Voters rejected a 6.7-mill tax increase last June that would have provided about $128 million for a 2,000-student high school with a full set of athletic facilities in Centerton. The package also would have paid for operational costs, renovations to Bentonville High School and upgrades to technology and heating and cooling systems in the district.

The School District conducted a survey in December that showed 59 percent of respondents would support a second high school at a lower cost than what was proposed last year.

Board member Grant Lightle would like to see the millage proposal get under $70 million. He looks forward to a good discussion at Thursday’s work session.

“I think we’re going to be looking at cost as the critical factor,” Lightle said. “In all these things we should be asking if there’s a way we can leverage existing facilities or ways we can use space more efficiently, keep costs down and design a really smart building that can get the job done with the least amount of wasted space.”

Lightle said it will be very easy to come up with a package that is $40 million less than what was proposed last year.

The board is concentrating on two potential sites for a second high school: one on Bright Road in southwest Bentonville and one on Gamble Road in Centerton. The district owns land at both sites.

Board members received estimates last week of what it would cost to build a 2,250-student high school at both sites. The costs given were $73.1 million for Bright Road and $73.9 million for Gamble Road.

Superintendent Michael Poore said Thursday’s work session will give board members a chance to discuss how they feel about project aspects such as location and size and what kind of athletic facilities and auditorium the school should have.

The School District could receive up to $15 million from the state to help build the school. The state Department of Education is expected to announce by May 1 the facility projects it is willing to help pay for in this grant cycle.

Another factor in the board’s decision will be a demographics study commissioned by the board in February. Poore said he hopes to have a preliminary report from the demographers by Thursday. The board hired Jack Schreder and Associates, based in Sacramento, Calif., to conduct the study.

Meanwhile, the School District wants to increase its odds of success at the polls through a voter registration drive. Only 36 percent of parents in the district are registered to vote, Poore said.

The district also would like to see more polling sites at its schools, Poore said.

Bentonville High School is the largest high school in the state with about 3,900 students. Enrollment is expected to surpass 5,000 by 2015, according to district projections.

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