SPRINGDALE -- The School District doubled the land it owns around Sonora Middle and Elementary schools for future needs on the east side of town.
The School Board voted earlier this week, without opposition or discussion, to buy about 56 acres of pasture that extend southward from the middle school property. Nothing's been decided yet for its use, but the land could give room for athletic fields, outdoor learning or new buildings, Deputy Superintendent Jared Cleveland said, adding its important to have it on hand.
"As the district grows, if you need property right then and you don't have it, then you could really be in a bind," Cleveland said. The land's price was about $560,000. "This property itself is beautiful, and it's next to the school, and we could certainly use the space."
Cleveland said the district keeps what Superintendent Jim Rollins calls a land bank of usable plots throughout the district. The board in May bought 28 acres for $800,000 near Tyson Parkway and George Anderson Road to build an elementary school in the southeast part of the city that could open in 2021.
Other districts take similar approaches, sometimes with even larger pieces of land. Bentonville in 2017 bought 107 acres near Bella Vista, for example, with no set timeline for building there.
Springdale officials have also turned their attention to the east and southeast sides of the city. C.L. and Willie George Park opened near the Sonora schools in 2016, and the City Council in August bought land off Tyson Parkway for an animal shelter.
"Residential development's been gradually increasing on that side of town, and it picked up a good bit when we opened that park," said Wyman Morgan, director of administrative and financial services for the city. He added the southeast side isn't unique in this way: "We're pretty well growing in just about every direction that we have room."
Sonora Middle Principal Martha Dodson said the district might find other needs for the land, but she could see using the space for outdoor teaching and activities, perhaps eventually including something such as a ropes course to teach teamwork and supporting one another. The school's fishing club or science classes could spend time exploring two small ponds at the property's south end and the rest of the area.
Going further, Dodson envisioned an outdoor school program, spending several days of class time investigating art, science and multiple other subjects all at once.
"We haven't had the area to do it," she said, instead relying on single-day trips to such places as Devil's Den State Park. "That would be phenomenal for us to be able to use it."
Cleveland said the growing district is still looking for other land, preferably at the appraised price or less.
NW News on 09/01/2018