PRAIRIE GROVE -- The School Board approved $6,165,000 in construction bonds at its March 17 meeting in the downtown central office.
Dan Lovelady with First Security Beardsley discussed the second-lien bond issue, which will be used to help pay for a new junior high school. Lovelady said by virtue of timing, market conditions and other factors the district is getting a good rate.
"We were thinking in the neighborhood of 2.4%," Lovelady said, pointing out Raymond James came in as the low bid with a rate of 2.016%.
According to Lovelady, the district will save about $40,000 to $45,000 in annual payments. Bonds start maturing Feb. 1, 2021.
"Simmons Bank of Pine Bluff will be your trustee bank," Lovelady said. "That's who your communications will take place with."
Closing was scheduled for Thursday. Lovelady recommended the district get the wire transfer sent back as soon as possible. He noted 5% of the money has to be obligated in the first six months.
"Normally architect funds and construction management funds will take care of that," Lovelady said.
David Kellogg, assistant superintendent, said the district is pleased with the projected price of the site development for the new school. So far, Kellogg said, the district hasn't seen where covid-19 is affecting the construction project.
"We hope that holds," Kellogg said.
The board approved a two-year agreement with M&W Mowing and More of Rogers. Kellogg said M&W owner Kelby Winberry is great to work with and does a lot of odds and ends jobs in addition to mowing for the district.
"Kelby is doing $2,200 per mowing price, which is about as good as we've ever had," Kellogg said.
Discussion ensued regarding whether an escape clause allowing the district to get out of the contract was included in the documents and on the timetable for mowing. Kellog said the contract has an escape clause.
"We tell him when to do it," Kellog said, adding, "it's not golf-course-type mowing ... If you met him, you'd like him."
In other actions the board approved revised graduation standards for the class of 2024 as presented and approved the recommended calendar for the 2020-2021 school year.
"It's pretty much the same as we've had this year," said Superintendent Reba Holmes, adding, "it looks like more professional development days; truly it's not."
Holmes said the elementary school teachers have to do a lot more professional development days whereas the high school can go online and do them in a day's time.
The board was briefed on a facilities update and discussed covid-19 plans.
"We met as an administration team today to talk about what if school does go eight weeks (before returning to on-site instruction)," Holmes said. "We have no answers. We just have to start looking at what we can do."
Holmes said the district should consider what to do about prom and graduation.
An inquiry was made as to whether or not Advanced Placement tests have been canceled.
"Not yet, we're putting on our website some resources about AP," Kellogg said, as a way to help students prepare. "The ACT backed up their testing a week or two, so that's been delayed ... The ADE (Arkansas Department of Education), so far they've said, 'We're just monitoring the situation.'"
Kellogg concluded, "This is uncharted territory."
NW News on 03/29/2020