Plans advancing for work at three schools

ROGERS — The School District is moving forward with plans to improve three of its oldest buildings.

Charles Lee, assistant superintendent for general administration, provided a facilities report at Tuesday’s School Board meeting that included an update on plans for Lowell, Northside and Westside elementary schools.

The district aims to begin projects at all three schools — each of which is more than 50 years old — in late May or early June. It’s estimated the three projects combined will cost the district $15 million, though costs won’t become clear until bids on each project are submitted.

The idea is to give each building a more modern look, upgrade their safety features and replace things such as heating and air conditioning systems, Lee said.

“We’re just trying to make sure we’re taking care of our older buildings, give them the care that they need. We want to make sure we’re addressing the health of those buildings,” he said.

Lowell Elementary’s project will take the longest at 15 months. The plan there includes expanding the cafeteria and adding a large canopy at the front entrance with the school’s name on it. The building’s exterior, which consists of five different colors of brick because of various additions to the building over time, will get a uniform color, Lee said.

At Northside, the biggest thing will be adding office

space to the building’s front end. The office is currently down the hallway from the main entrance, which is not ideal from a safety perspective, Lee said. Work there is expected to take five to seven months.

Westside will see aesthetic improvements to its exterior, including a canopy out front. Work there is expected to take seven to nine months.

Each school will get a new monument sign out front that matches what the district installs at its new buildings. The schools also will get

sprinkler systems and new locking systems. Issues of compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act at each school will be corrected, Lee said.

Officials will do their best to minimize disruptions to students and staff members as work is being done, but Lee said at least some inconvenience associated with the projects is inevitable.

Each of the school projects

is being handled by a different pairing of construction managers and architects.

In other facility news, Lee said the district plans to invest in more parking at its new Professional Learning Center on West Perry Road, next to Rogers High School. The district bought the former church building in 2017 for professional development and office space.

Parking at the site will increase from 92 spaces to 170 spaces. The district expects to complete the project by the end of May, Lee said.