ROGERS -- School District officials decided they have no immediate need for another elementary school and will pass on the state's offer to help build one.
The School Board voted unanimously Tuesday to decline $2.29 million granted to the district last month through the state's Academic Facilities Partnership Program.
Enrollment projections
The Rogers School District projects its enrollment will grow 4.4 percent over the next 10 years. Below are the enrollment numbers expected at each building level this fall, in 2020 and in 2025.
YearK-56-89-12Total
2016-177,2043,4084,56515,177
2020-217,0663,7714,71515,552
2025-267,0273,6135,20215,842
Source: Rogers School District
Rogers administrators project enrollment at the elementary level will fall by 2.4 percent over the next 10 years. Rogers elementary schools include grades kindergarten through five.
The district already has about 30 classrooms at the elementary buildings available to use, said Superintendent Janie Darr.
"So we do not feel we need to accept this money," Darr said.
Lisa Anderson, board vice president, said in this case, refusing the state's money is a wise financial move.
"It would cost a lot more than this amount to build a school. That's just a small portion of what it would take," Anderson said.
Jim White, chief operations officer, said an elementary school would cost about $18 million. The district would have had four years to complete a new elementary school in order to qualify for the state's money.
The Commission for Arkansas Public School Academic Facilities and Transportation voted last month to provide $44.5 million for 49 approved school construction, replacement and system repair projects across the state. Those projects included one submitted by Rogers to build a 16th elementary school.
This is the second time in recent years the district has declined the commission's money. The commission awarded $2.7 million to Rogers in 2014, also for another elementary school. The district didn't detect a need for another school at that time.
The district has added an average of about 200 students per year over the past five years. Enrollment was 15,077 last fall. Despite an anticipated decrease in elementary enrollment, overall enrollment in the district is expected to increase 4.4 percent by the 2025-26 school year, according to district projections.
In other business at Tuesday's meeting, the board approved hiring Lewis Villines as Rogers High School's principal.
Villines has served as an assistant principal at the school for three years. He replaces Charles Lee, who was promoted earlier this month to be the district's assistant superintendent for secondary curriculum and instruction.
Villines was principal at Huntsville High School for one year and principal at Flippin Elementary School for four years before coming to Rogers. He also has been a high school agriculture teacher in Mountain Home and a girls softball coach in Flippin during his 22-year education career, according to a district news release.
He said he is "deeply honored" to be chosen principal.
"We have a great school, great staff, and I look forward to the days ahead and moving forward with the transition," Villines said.
Villines is a graduate of the Master Principal Institute and is a National Board certified teacher. He's working on his doctorate in educational leadership from Harding University. He hopes to receive that degree in December.
He has a son, Weston, who'll be attending Rogers High School this year.
Tuesday's board meeting was the last for Darr as superintendent. She's retiring at the end of the month after 47 years with the district, including the past 17 as superintendent.
Robert Moore, the outgoing assistant superintendent for secondary curriculum and instruction, praised Darr for her leadership.
"Thank you for many great years of service to our School District," he said.
NW News on 06/22/2016