The North Little Rock School Board on Thursday approved a contract with Taggart Architects of North Little Rock to develop plans for renovations at a middle school that can be done in phases, starting with security and courtyard drainage.
The board approved the contract at a meeting in which it also approved school lunch price increases and added five instructional specialist positions to help improve student achievement on state exams.
The district is nearing completion of what started out as a $265.5 million capital-improvement program meant to build new or extensively renovate nearly all of its 13 campuses. However, the district did not receive the state funding it requested for the middle school at what is the former Lakewood Middle and former Northeast High schools.
Superintendent Kelly Rodgers and director of plant services Gene Hawk on Thursday proposed that previously planned equipment purchases -- and the $1 million air-conditioning of the high school's athletic arena -- be delayed to generate about $2 million for the middle-school work, which would be in addition to the cafeteria renovation that is underway.
School Board President Luke King said parents made clear at recent community meetings that they want more done at the middle school. Priorities included the drainage improvement and sidewalk coverings in the courtyard, safety and security and technology resources.
"I want parents and the community to know that we are still fully committed," King said, adding that the entire project could take three to five years.
Education Board member Dorothy Williams called for repairing leaks in roofs that are causing buckling in floors where they get wet.
"We can't let one building go down while we spend money on other things," she said. Other than a "beautiful cafeteria," she added, "the school is an embarrassment."
Hawk said work on the courtyard and sidewalk coverings could possibly be completed by the start of the 2016-17 school year.
Also Thursday, the School Board approved transferring about $1.2 million in savings that are held in the district's construction fund to the operating budget to finance a 1.5 percent across-the-board pay increase to employees for this school year. Lump-sum payments for the retroactive raises will be distributed in May.
School lunches next year will increase from $2.50 to $2.75 for elementary pupils and $2.75 to $3 for secondary students.
The board approved creating two math specialist jobs, two science specialist positions and one literacy specialist for secondary schools as a way to improve curriculum planning and instruction in district schools.
Metro on 04/22/2016