School officials want to discuss $12.3M proposal with community

Ashdown voters to decide fate of project with special bond election

L.F. Henderson Intermediate School
L.F. Henderson Intermediate School

A May 10 special bond election that Ashdown, Ark., school officials say could affect generations of students has prompted administrators to schedule an informal public meeting to discuss the proposed $12.3 million improvements, which include a new elementary school and a gym that would double as a storm shelter.

Superintendent Jason Sanders said the goal of the April 25 meeting is to raise community awareness and answer questions. He said the community will get all of the details on the proposal at the meeting, which starts at 6 p.m. in the Ashdown High School cafeteria.

 

The plan

The district wants to consolidate three elementary campuses: L.F. Henderson Intermediate, C.D. Franks Elementary and Margaret Daniel Primary. L.F. Henderson was built in 1950 with an addition in 1965, C.D. Franks was built in 1971, and the primary was built in 1981.

 

Proposed improvements

Plans include moving the classes to the primary campus. The current building would be gutted and renovated, and an estimated $9.2 million would go to building a new elementary school.

"Those two older ones, those buildings we feel like are not going to be the answer for the next 50 years," Sanders said. "And so it just comes down to, this community has got to decide. What is the answer for our elementary facilities for the next 50 years? And since those are not the answer, we feel like, is the community ready to move forward at this time?"

The new school would be 62,000 to 64,000 square feet, he said. Plans include demolishing the elementary and offering the surplus property to the city for free. A new physical education building would also be built and serve as a refuge during storms.

"The P.E. gym will have reinforced walls, so that it is the safest place in Little River County," Sanders said. "Our babies, our K-5 kids, if there comes a tornado, they're in the safest place in this county, which is a big sell for parents. Safety."

 

COST

If passed, the additional 3.9 mils of the tax rate would mean a tax increase of $6.50 per $100,000 of real estate value. The district now sits at 35.7 mils, and the state's 2015 average was at 37.7 mills. The total 39.6 millage would only increase the school portion of the total county assessments, Sanders said.

Also included in the bond is a .9-mil salary increase to attract and retain quality teachers. That $180,000 would be invested in salaries for the district's 220 teachers.

"The school feels that it must have competitive salaries to recruit and keep the best math, science and English teachers for our children and grandchildren," Sanders wrote in a statement.

The bond would give the district funds to renovate the junior high school, which was built in 1979. A facilities committee is reviewing what needs to be done on that campus and will present those ideas at the community meeting.

The district's last millage increase was in 2003, when an additional 3 mils was added because of the Arkansas Legislature's Act 74, which required each district to have a minimum of 25 mils for maintenance and operation. That gave the district an extra $8.7 million for several projects including a new high school, which was completed in 2007.

"The high school building was 50 years old, and they started planning on what was the next 50 years for their high school," Sanders said. "We're in the same position now with our elementaries, except some of them are even older than 50 years."

 

THE BUILDER

The district has chosen Architecture Plus and CR Crawford Construction to help with the project, per Sanders' recommendation. He said both have a a history of academic construction including Cossatot River and Mena high schools, plus the Nashville Scrapper basketball arena. An independent consultant would also oversee the project, with the goal of keeping construction costs at $150 per square foot.

 

MEETING

The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. April 25 in the Ashdown High School cafeteria. A question-and-answer session will also be held. School board members, financial advisers, the school's facilities director, project architects and Little River County Assessor Allie Rosenbaum will answer questions on the project.

 

VOTING

Early voting begins April 26 at the courthouse, with regular polling places open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. May 10. Citizens with questions about voting should call the Circuit Clerk's Office at 870-989-7211.

For more information on the special bond election, call Sanders at 870-898-3208.

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