School invests in youth

Thanks to funds from the State Department of Education, Pea Ridge will receive $10.65 million towards the construction of a new high school if coupled with local funds.

School officials met Tuesday, Feb. 28, to discuss various options for financing and then met in a special School Board meeting Wednesday, March 1, and adopted a resolution with the proposed budget of expenditures with tax levy and to submit an application for a permit to issue bonds.

“There is a million more than we anticipated,” Rick Neal, school superintendent said. “We’re very excited about that.”

Neal said this is a great opportunity for the residents of the school district.

“We want to encourage people to invest in the students,” he said, explaining that the school population continues to grow. With exponential growth, the district is expected to serve more than 2,150 students next year.

The School Board is asking residents of the district for an additional 5.1 mills to raise the money for the facility. There will be a special election May 9 for residents to vote on the millage. Residents must be registered to vote by April 10 to vote in the May election.

“We have done everything we can over the last 15 years to get to this point,” Neal said, adding that the district has invested $34 million in the district without asking for a millage increase with wise management of the district’s finances. “It’s incredible when you think of all we’ve put in the district.”

There have been many houses built in the district, Keith Martin, assistant superintendent, said. “Bedrooms do a great job of filling classrooms, but not a good job of building them.”

“One thing we have for us is our track record and how well we’ve spent money. We haven’t squandered it,” Martin said.

Projects completed since the last millage increase in 2007 include: Construction of Primary School housing kindergarten through second grade; Intermediate School build and remodel; six-classroom addition to Middle School; six-classroom addition to High School; Storm Shelter/FEMA building; construction of new football stadium; Indoor/Multi-purpose facility; Fine Arts Wing at High School; Administration Building; Industrial Technology Buildings; 5,000 square feet addition of classroom for Agricultural program at High School; and HVAC in the High School gym.