SPRINGDALE -- Plans to remodel George Elementary are getting another look after the school was damaged by a tornado in March.
Jeremy White, director of support services, gave School Board members an update on the district's ongoing construction projects at Tuesday's meeting. Renovation projects at Springdale High School, Central Junior High and Southwest Junior High are underway, he said.
Updates to George Elementary School have yet to begin because the district is waiting on insurance claims related to tornado and hail damage from the March storm, White said. The storm destroyed the school's gym and playground, while the main building sustained minor damage, according to the district.
The district previously received approval from the state to remodel the elementary's media center, but since the gym was blown away, officials have room to reconfigure the changes, said Kelly Hayes, deputy superintendent of finance.
On Tuesday, White presented architectural renderings of what the school could look like, which included plans to convert the existing dining area into a media center, turn the kitchen area to face the other direction and add a dining area in the back of the building next to a connected gym and several multiuse rooms. The dining area would include both indoor and outdoor seating areas, he said.
It's unclear when updates to George Elementary will be complete, since they are dependent on insurance claims, White said. Renovations to Springdale High School and Southwest Junior High are set to be finished in September 2024, he said. Phase one of updates to Central Junior High is scheduled to be complete in 2023 and phase two will be finished in 2024, he said.
The projects are estimated to cost $140 million, including $90 million in bond money and the remainder from state partnership funds, Hayes said. The George Elementary School project will be paid for through a combination of insurance reimbursements, bond money and state partnership funds, Hayes said.
The district was able to transfer approximately $15 million into its building fund at the end of the 2021-22 school year, thanks to higher revenue and fewer expenditures than expected, Hayes said. The money will provide a cushion if inflation impacts the construction projects, he said.
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NoneFast Fact
Voters approved extending the maturation date of the district’s more than $265 million debt from 2041 to 2051 in May 2021. The extension of the millage generated the $90 million to help pay for the development projects.
Source: Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette