BENTONVILLE — The School District could receive up to $15 million from the state to help build a new high school, a state education official told the School Board on Tuesday.
Charles Stein, director of school facilities for the Arkansas Department of Education, visited the board’s meeting to discuss the Academic Facilities Partnership Program, which helps pay for various building projects across the state.
Projects needed to provide a warm, safe and dry learning environment are given first priority. Projects proposed because of a need for space are considered second.
Projects also are ranked based on each district’s wealth index, facility conditions and the district’s growth rate.
The partnership program runs on two-year cycles. The next set of projects will be announced in May.
It’s a good time to get in line for partnership money, Stein said.
“There’s more money available this time than there will be next time,” he said.
If the state agrees to help with Bentonville’s second high school project, the district would have to begin construction by November 2015 to receive the money. In the meantime, voters would have to pass a millage increase to pay the rest of the cost.
With about 3,900 students, Bentonville High School is the largest high school in the state. Voters rejected the district’s proposal in June to build a second high school, but the board has committed to trying for a second high school with another millage proposal some time this year.
Stein also addressed possible sanctions the state could impose on the district if its facilities are considered inadequate. In such a case, the law effectively allows the state to take over a district. It could require the district to halt spending on anything beyond what’s necessary for a basic education, including athletic teams.
But the state has never done such a thing, Stein said, adding districts typically work out plans to address facility issues on their own.
Also at Tuesday’s board meeting, consultant John Kerr presented his report on the district’s capacity.
He said an understanding of capacity is important for planning purposes and for communicating to the community the need for additional space.
He presented various options for extending the capacities of the schools, including extended-day, split and year-round schedules.
For example, Bentonville High School could accommodate up to 4,941 students if it extended the school day, and up to 5,190 students if it went to a year-round schedule.
According to district projections, however, Bentonville High’s enrollment will exceed 5,190 by 2016.
It’s not just the high school facing such space issues. Heavy growth is projected across the grade levels. Middle school enrollment, for example, is expected to grow by 65 percent by 2020.
Travis Riggs, board president, was amazed by those figures.
“Wow,” Riggs said. “That’s millage after millage after millage we’ll need to keep up with the growth.”
Superintendent Michael Poore said one out of every seven new homes under construction in Arkansas is being built in Benton County.