Bentonville School District Buying Church Land

BENTONVILLE -- The School Board on Monday unanimously agreed to buy land from a Centerton church to enhance access to West High School.

The board approved paying $25,000 to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for a strip of land measured at 0.72 acres. The purchase will allow the district to provide an access road to the high school from Centerton's Seba Road, which is just south of the school's site.

At A Glance

First Day Of School

During Monday’s School Board meeting, board members and School District administrators shared their thoughts on the first day of school Monday. Michael Poore, superintendent, said the year got off to a “great start.” He shared a picture of the high school’s main office Monday morning showing no students waiting to get schedule conflicts cleared up. “I thought this was particularly worthy of recognition,” Poore said. Poore also showed a video of Jeff Wasem, Old High Middle School’s principal, getting doused with ice water Monday after agreeing to take the Ice Bucket Challenge to fight ALS.

Source: Staff Report

The church building sits at the northwest corner of Seba and Gamble roads. The portion of land the School District is buying lies on the far west side of the church's property, about two-tenths of a mile west of the Seba and Gamble intersection.

Construction of West High School began last month. The school is expected to open in August 2016.

The Seba Road access point will be used by staff members and students, said Paul Wallace, director of facilities.

Seba Road is not paved west of the church building. The district hopes to see all of Seba Road paved eventually, Wallace said during a board meeting last week.

Michael Poore, district superintendent, said the cost of the land had been built into the guaranteed maximum price for site work on Bentonville West. The board approved a guaranteed maximum price of $7.12 million for site work in June.

"We will continue to work with the church and the city of Centerton to finalize all aspects of building this particular road," Poore said.

In other business Monday, the board approved naming Fulbright Junior High School's multipurpose room after its first principal.

Fulbright Junior High opened in August 2013. Kathy Murry was principal until her death on Jan. 4.

During the school's design and building process, Murry sought to include many collaborative spaces that would allow all stakeholders opportunities to gather, share ideas and learn, according to district officials. The multipurpose room, directly across from the main office, was a prime example of that philosophy.

Bradley Webber, Fulbright's new principal, said the parent-teacher organization and school leadership team sought input on ways to honor Murry. The option of renaming the multipurpose room in her honor was a favorite among staff members and the parent-teacher organization, Webber said.

The parent-teacher organization dedicated money for a plaque to be hung outside the room, Webber said.

"We already refer to it as the Murry room," said Wendi Cheatham, board president. "It is nice to make it official. Obviously Mrs. Murry did not get to spend nearly enough days in that building."

Willie Cowgur, board member, said Murry was his seventh-grade math teacher.

"It's a great way to honor someone who was in this district for years and years," Cowgur said.

Prior to her time as Fulbright's principal, Murry spent 17 years in administration in the Bentonville School District.

NW News on 08/19/2014

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