Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Prairie Grove School Board Meets
PRAIRIE GROVE — Prairie Grove School Board last week tabled a resolution to purchase 61 acres for $ 1.1 million to give more time to conduct additional tests on the land.
The resolution was on the board’s June 13 agenda but Superintendent Allen Williams said the district’s engineer wanted more tests.
“We’ve run into something that needs more testing,” Williams told board members. After the meeting, Williams said the engineer had some questions from the initial testing of the soil.
“We want to make sure all the property is suitable,” Williams said. “We want to know that the biggest part of the property is suitable for whatever we want to use it for.”
The tabled resolution states the district would take out a five-year, $880,000 loan from Arvest Bank at a 2.74-percent interest rate.
The land is across from Prairie Grove High School and divided into three parcels adjacent to each other on Buchanan Street. It is owned by DD&B Inc., with David Parks as president.
Williams first introduced his proposal to purchase the land at the board’s April meeting. He signed a contract for the district to purchase the property, contingent on the results of a feasibility study and final approval from the school board.
The board approved Williams’ request for a feasibility study. The study was to include an appraisal of the property, geotechnical imaging to check for caverns in the ground, soil testing and a topography study to see how much of the property could be used.
He wanted the study because of some concern about drainage on the property.
In April, Williams told board members he believed the pasture land was the board’s last opportunity to purchase a large tract of land for the school district.
Williams updated board members on the district’s plan to apply to have the high school named a conversion charter school. The application is due to the Arkansas Department of Education in August. A conversion charter allows schools to have more flexibility in complying with state laws and rules that apply to a school’s operation.
The school will request waivers to give it more flexibility in offering career programs, such as health occupations and building trades. Waivers would include the ability to use instructors who are certified in their professions and have five years’ experience but are not certified as teachers by the state of Arkansas.
If the conversion charter application is approved, the high school would implement the new programs in fall 2017.
Following an executive session, board members approved the hiring of several teachers: Amelia Foster and Andrea Landrum for first grade, Ashley Howard for high school science, Jared Hall for high school computer science, math and Project Lead the Way, Autumn Glenn for high school consumer science and Elizabeth Messerschmitt as GT teacher/coordinator. Christina Vickery was named district secretary.
The board accepted resignations from teachers Rachel Harp, Jordan Strayhorn, Holley Shinn and Lindsey Layes, who also is the high school volleyball coach.