Fort Smith schools start to reconfigure

Sixth-, ninth-graders shifted in plan

FORT SMITH — The Fort Smith School District has begun work on the first phase of its grade reconfiguration.

Superintendent Terry Morawski told the School Board this week that the district is beginning work related to hiring, as well as some of the “greater logistical planning” for the reconfiguration this month.

It will be one of the larger projects the district undertakes this year along with finishing some construction projects.

“Our team’s done some great work to prepare this and get this work started this month and get us prepared for next year so we can move our sixth-graders and our ninth-graders to those facilities,” Morawski said during a work session Monday.

Deputy Superintendent Martin Mahan said starting in August, Chaffin, Darby, Kimmons and Ramsey junior high schools will be converted to middle schools, transitioning from campuses for grades 7-9 to campuses for grades 6-8. Sixth-graders will be moved out of the elementary schools.

Northside and Southside high schools will be converted from grades 10-12 to grades 9-12.

Mahan explained the board approved Vision 2023, the district’s five-year strategic plan, in December 2017. A citizens committee was formed the next year to prioritize goals and objectives of Vision 2023, researching and recommending a proposal to ensure that work could begin. This proposal was approved with some modifications by the board in March 2018.

Both the Vision 2023 and citizens committees recommended and prioritized grade level reconfiguration, according to Mahan.

“Our high schools will have a thousand more students, give or take, next year,” Mahan said.

Fort Smith and Barling residents approved the Vision 2023 capital improvement program in May 2018, Mahan said. This increased the district property tax rate from 36.5 mills to 42 mills, which will generate about $120 million for capital improvements.

Included in this capital improvement program are construction and renovation projects at the high schools. These projects, which include freshman wings for both schools, are expected to be finished in August.

As part of phase one of the reconfiguration project, Mahan said the district will first begin posting certain ninthgrade positions Monday, followed by certain sixth-grade positions Feb. 15. The district would like to complete these segments of the hiring process before spring break, March 22-26, Mahan said.