The School Board for the Pulaski County Special School District has taken its first steps toward enlarging Sylvan Hills High School, which has doubled its enrollment since 2010-11 to 1,452 this year and will top 1,600 next year.
The board unanimously approved a motion made by Alicia Gillen of Maumelle authorizing Superintendent Jerry Guess to contract with WER Architects/Planners of Little Rock to design new academic, dining and auditorium spaces at the Sherwood campus. The design work cost is capped at $500,000.
Derek Scott, the district's executive director of operations, told the board that the design work must begin if the expansion is to be completed for the 2019-20 school year.
The design work will proceed while district staff and the School Board determine how to pay for the construction of space to accommodate as many as 2,200 students in ninth through 12th grades. Funding options to be discussed by the board in February include the possibility of asking voters to approve a 13-year extension of 14.8 mills for debt service that will otherwise expire in 2035.
Metro on 01/29/2017