Monday, January 6, 2014
Three school construction projects are progressing in Farmington, Prairie Grove and West Fork.
All three school districts plan to have new buildings finished in time for the 2015-16 school year.
Partnership Program
The Arkansas Division of Public School Facilities and Management partnership program provides financial assistance to school districts for certain building projects. The program doesn’t pay for athletic facilities. The Arkansas Legislature allocates money to the partnership program which in turn is doled out to school districts every two years for projects that have been approved by the division. The amount a district can receive is determined by the division’s mathematical calculation called the wealth index. The lower the wealth index, the more money a district can receive. The priority for allocating partnership money is first, making school buildings warm, safe and dry; second, suitability; and third, growth.
Source: Staff Report
Farmington Superintendent Bryan Law said the building pad is done and construction should begin in the next few weeks on the first phase of a high school on Arkansas 170 on the south side of the city. The first phase consists of an 1,800-seat sports arena, a 600-seat auditorium, stage and dressing rooms, plus rooms for band, choir and drama.
The first phase will contain 74,000 square feet and cost about $9.5 million. The district received about $1 million in state partnership money for part of the project. The program money can’t be used for athletic facilities.
The district plans to ask the state public school facilities division for partnership money to help with the construction of Phase II. The second phase probably won’t be started until 2015 after the district learns if it’s getting the money.
The second phase is estimated at $15 million for a 100,000-square-foot general classroom building. Law estimated the partnership program could provide about $8 million, leaving the district to pay $7 million.
The third phase will be a continuation of the academic spaces as needed plus new athletic facilities, such as a football field and track, Law said. The new campus should be completed in 2018.
As plans for the second phase take shape, Law said district officials will be looking for space for programs such as audio-visual production, career academies, engineering and robotics, diesel mechanics and agriculture.
“There is a lot we want to do, but we just have to see how much,” Law said.
In Prairie Grove, district officials have been meeting with architects to review plans to finalize for state review and to solicit bids. Superintendent Allen Williams hopes to see construction under way about May 1, weather permitting.
The project includes replacing the elementary school with an addition at the intermediate school, building a new high school gymnasium with 1,400 seats, and a storm shelter at the new elementary wing.
Total cost of the package is $15.8 million. The district received almost $2.4 million in state partnership money and another $940,000 Federal Emergency Management Agency grant for the storm shelter, leaving about $12.4 million to be paid by the district.
Prairie Grove voters last September approved a 6-mill property tax increase to pay for the construction. Property owners will pay about $10 a month more in property tax on a home valued at $100,000.
West Fork is preparing to submit plans to the state agency today, said Superintendent John Karnes.
District officials want to break ground in mid-February for a physical education building, two classrooms and restrooms at the middle school and a fine arts space for band and choir, Karnes said.
The middle school construction is estimated at $2.2 million and the district received about $1.4 million in partnership assistance, or about 70 percent of the cost, Karnes said.
The music building will expand by about 3,000 square feet for junior and high school students but is not included in the partnership allocation, he added. The division review determined the square footage in the high school indicated the addition was not needed. The district will pay for the addition from its own coffers, Karnes said.
West Fork voters also approved a property tax increase. Property owners in the district will pay an additional $40 annually after approving the 2-mill increase.
“It’s a lot of work to put plans together,” Karnes said. “It just takes time.”