School Study Offers Recommendations

BENTONVILLE — In addition to its need for more space at the high school level, the Bentonville School District needs to build one more elementary school and buy land for a new middle school during the next 10 years, according to the draft of a study done for the district.

Jack Schreder & Associates, a firm based in Sacramento, Calif., did the study for the district. The 93-page draft report, released Friday, provides details about enrollment projections, land use, economic development and recommendations for the district to follow.

The School Board commissioned the study to help it come up with a millage increase proposal this year to pay for a second high school. The district’s contract with the firm is for $125 per hour, not to exceed 350 hours or $43,750, according to Sterling Ming, district finance director.

District enrollment will exceed 20,000 by the 2022-23 school year, the report states, an increase of about 33 percent over this year’s enrollment.

The report offers the district several recommendations, including:

  • Aggressively pursue adequate school funding from federal, state and local sources to upgrade facilities and build new ones.

  • Replace portable buildings on campuses with permanent ones when fiscally possible.

  • Maintain relationships with all cities served by the district to continue to plan for the most effective use of its facilities in addition to the potential for new facilities.

  • Maintain ongoing relationships with businesses in order to effectively track economic growth.

  • Consider exploring joint-use projects with community groups and organizations, city governmental agencies and other resources in order to accommodate and improve these programs which meet the needs of a diverse student population.

  • Use the demographics study as the foundation for the development of a long-range master plan.

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