Students in the Wynne School District will not have to make up the five school days they missed when campuses were closed in the aftermath of a March 31 tornado that ripped through the city, destroying the Wynne High School and damaging Wynne Intermediate School.
The Arkansas Board of Education on Thursday approved for the Wynne district a waiver of the state law that requires a school year of at least 178 days.
Meanwhile, the district is seeking qualifications from firms to provide professional construction management general contractor services for the construction of up to 156,000 square feet of a new Wynne High School and associated ancillary projects, including an athletic complex and the repair and renovation of Wynne Intermediate School, according to the district.
The total budget is expected to be, at most, $125 million, the district said. The project will be funded with local funds, insurance proceeds and federal/state funding sources. The projected completion date for all projects is July 1, 2026.
The district said it has established a temporary high school campus for the 2023-2024 academic year on the west side of Lemons Street, across from Wynne Primary School.