FARMINGTON -- Members of the Farmington School Board heard a demographics report about the district during their March 28 meeting.
The report was presented to the board by Bob Templeton, vice president of the School District Segment for Zonda Home, via Zoom. Templeton provided an overview of the demographic study, which included economic conditions across the Fayetteville area, plus the housing market.
Templeton also presented information on the new housing coming into the Farmington School District, plus enrollment projections and the impact that these will have on current enrollment.
Current enrollment data provided by Zonda show for the 2021-22 school year the Farmington School District has 2,603 students enrolled with a total growth of 31 students or 1.2% from the previous year.
Local economic conditions show the unemployment ratio for the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers area was around 2% in December, according to the demographics report provided by Zonda.
In comparison, unemployment data for the state of Arkansas was around 4% in the same month, and the national average was above the 4% mark for December, according to the data.
The Farmington area saw a huge spike in construction of new homes, Templeton said. In 2021, there were 355 home sales in Farmington's district boundaries, according to the report. Since 2010, the number of new home sales has nearly doubled and the number of foreclosures and real estate owned sales have decreased by 92%, the report states.
Home prices have increased for the last 11 years. Since 2010, the average new home price has increased 74.2% or $137,043, and the average existing price home has increased 85.2%, or $124,921, the report states.
Templeton reported that the Farmington School District has 150 lots available to build on with groundwork underway on additional lots in multiple subdivisions. There are more than 250 homes under construction and more than 800 planned future lots in the district boundaries, the report states.
There are 92 multifamily units under construction and 160 future multifamily units in the planning stages, the report states.
Looking at student enrollment, the report states that Farmington has 93 students currently residing in 373 multifamily units. The district average multifamily yield is 0.249, the report states.
The School District currently has 574 students residing outside of the district, which represents roughly 24% of the total student population, the report states.
A 10-year forecast shows that there will be 3,903 students who start in the fall of the 2031-32 school year, a 50% increase from the current enrollment of about 2,600 students.
Amy Hill, School Board vice president, asked if the additions to the junior high school and the two elementary schools were taken into account when Zonda released its numbers.
Templeton said the numbers did not reflect the additions but he is willing to change the numbers. Templeton also said there is a natural movement of people moving away from Fayetteville into smaller communities.
Farmington Public Schools is proceeding with additions on three campuses, Superintendent Jon Laffoon said. Both Folsom and Jerry "Pop" Williams Elementary Schools are currently having a wing containing six classrooms and additional restrooms built, Laffoon said. They will be ready to open in the summer of 2022, Laffoon said.
The district is adding a new building and multipurpose area to the junior high school which will have 12 new classrooms and be ready in 2023, Laffoon said. There is also a plan for another elementary school which is expected to be ready for the 2024-2025 school year, Laffoon said.
The Farmington School Board also approved a mowing contract with All American Services for mowing and landscape services for $2,875 per mowing, for an estimated 25-28 mowings per year.