Dissimilar districts share similar high school situations
Posted on Monday, November 24, 2008
The Lincoln and Fayetteville school districts aren’t comparable in terms of student population, but they do have at least one thing in common.
The two school boards have expressed a serious interest in building a new high school, making the two communities the most likely districts in Washington County to hold elections for millage increases for new high schools within the next year.
Lincoln High School currently has 333 students in grades nine through 12, and the district enrollment totals about 1,230 students. Fayetteville High School has 1,817 students in grades 10-12, and district enrollment is 8,512 students.
At a school board meeting this week, however, Lincoln Superintendent Frank Holman made some comments similar to the recent discussions Fayetteville has been having about updating the curriculum in conjunction with a new high school project.
After a demonstration by a teacher on the use of iPods, Holman suggested that a key selling point for a new high school would be impressing on voters how a new building could be beneficial to providing updated tools and technology for “21st-century” students.
“Lincoln’s been pretty well thought of on the academic side. This 21st-century tool set for the new school would keep us right on track,” board member Richard Watson said.
In September, Fayetteville board members adopted a resolution to direct the administration the develop a plan “for a 21st century pre-K through 12 school system that includes one new high school on the existing FHS site.”
Fayetteville administrators are in the process of gathering information and doing research to develop ideas for a new high school. This has included site visits to new schools in other states and a trip to the Sprint corporate campus in Kansas to get an idea of what a modern workplace is like.
In terms of location, Fayetteville is now looking to modify the current 40-acre campus on the 1000 block of West Stone Street with a new building. Lincoln hopes to build a new school on 40 acres of undeveloped land along U.S. 62 on the east side of town.
There have been other similarities, and differences, during the development of the two districts’ plans to build new schools. Here is a look at some of the issues related to the future of a high school and how they have approached the matter:
Public feedback
Lincoln: The district has not held formal public comment hearings, and the feedback has mostly been individual discussions between board members and citizens. Holman has spoken at the topic at some meetings for community clubs and organizations.
“You get a lot of positive feedback. Of course, the scary thing about this is the economy,” Watson said.
Fayetteville:Numerous public hearings over the last two years, including two by committees, which evaluated and made recommendations on the issues of one versus two high schools, grade formats and potential locations.
Blog pages on the topic have also been set up on the district Web site from time to time. The board also made decisions to change locations within the last six months. After a plan to sell the campus to the nearby University of Arkansas fell through, the board voted to declare the current site as the site for a new high school.
Importance of location
Lincoln: Watson said he doesn’t believe there is significant community sentiment attached to the current location, just a couple of blocks from Lincoln’s downtown square. He believes citizens would actually prefer the new location along the highway.
“I think everyone in Lincoln looks at this idea of building down on these 40 acres. When you drive into town, you’ll see something fresh and new. I think that school would be a big asset” Watson said.
The district plans to use the existing high school facilities for a middle school.Fayetteville: The city saw intense debate over keeping or vacating the current location, with many residents who favored retaining it saying they loved the location next to the University of Arkansas and near downtown.
Two separate groups, BuildSmart and Students First, formed to promote retaining and vacating the current location, respectively. Students First focused on selling the campus to UA, but since the negotiations fell through, it is no longer active.
Grade format changes
Lincoln: Holman has suggested adding eighth grade to the high school campus when the new school is built, saying it could give them the opportunity to take upper-level electives.
Fayetteville: The school board has voted to add ninth grade to the campus with a new school, which greatly increases the size of the school needed. The high school would have 2,422 students if ninth grade was added now.
One versus two
Lincoln: The assumption has been the district would have one new replacement high school facility due to the community’s size and the school’s population.
Fayetteville: A 2006-2007 committee recommended the district retain one high school. One of the main reasons cited was that the district was not ready to “divide” the community. The school board has expressed interest in designing a new campus with “small learning communities” so the school will seem more personal.
Other reasons cited by board members and administrators on why Fayetteville should retain one high school include costs and a relatively slow growth rate.
Advance purchase of land
Lincoln: The school district purchased 40 acres of undeveloped land along U.S. 62 in 2004 with the goal that it could be used as a future school, most likely a high school.
Fayetteville: Purchased more than 100 acres of land near Deane Solomon Road and West Salem Road. The district first purchased 79 acres in 2005, then added 20 acres in 2006. School officials were apprehensive about describing the land as a future high school site, declaring the land an investment and leaving its future use openended. The committee that evaluated potential land sites for a new high school rated it as one of the least favorable site locations. The district recently added a 9.6-acre lot to the site, but its future use still remains undetermined.
School size
Lincoln: Holman has suggested building a new Lincoln High School to house 800 students, which would likely be big enough for years of growth given the current student population.
Fayetteville: The district has yet to determine the maximum size of the campus, although 3,000 is probably the most frequently mentioned number. Based on current growth rates, school administrators have estimated the freshman-to-senior population in Fayetteville would not exceed 3,000 students until 2024-2025.
Board President Susan Heil has called for a vote on the size of the school at the board’s regular December meeting.
Size of high school sites
Lincoln: forty acres of undeveloped land.
Fayetteville: forty acres already developed that includes all existing academic facilities, the district’s administration building, athletic facilities and former Boys & Girls Club building.
Election date?
Lincoln: has not been set. Any election to raise the millage rate within the next year would have to be held between January to September due to state regulations.
Fayetteville: No date has been set. Recent discussions have focused on September 2009. At a board meeting Thursday, architect Wes Burgess said he believed they could build a new school to open in the fall of 2012 if the election passes in September but a delay or defeat would push that date back.
State assistance
Lincoln: Based on the district’s wealth index, a formula based on property tax values and enrollment, the state might pay for up to 60 percent of the costs of constructing a new school under the Arkansas Department of Education’s partnership program.
The district should receive word in the spring on whether the department will approve assistance for the project, Watson said.
“It would be more advantageous for us to build now while that program is still out there,” board member Dax Moreton said.
“It concerns you because this may be your best bite at the apple,” Watson said.
Fayetteville: Receives very little assistance under the current formula. Fayetteville would receive assistance in the equivalent of one-half of 1 percent of construction costs.
Superintendent Bobby New has said they hope to convince legislators to increase the minimum amount of assistance under the partnership program.
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