Green Forest board votes to submit building plans to state

The Green Forest School District board of directors has taken the first step in the long process of adding three new buildings to its campus.

At its regular meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 20, the board approved submitting plans to the state for a building project that would include two new schools and a new fine arts building, according to superintendent Matt Summers.

The plans were due by the end of February to be considered for state funding.

“Currently, what we are looking at is a 7th and 8th grade building and a 9 through 12 high school building,” Summers said. “And the final phase would be a fine arts building on the footprint of where the existing high school is now.”

The district should learn sometime in November if it is approved for any funds, and in May 2025 the amount that is approved.

“If a millage is needed it would be in the fall of 2025,” Summers said.

Summers said if approved, the funding process from the state would fund $289 a square foot toward construction cost.

“The problem is, most actual construction costs for academic buildings are closer to $400 a square foot, and a safe room, which is required to be in all new buildings, is closer to $500 a square foot,” he said. “So, the projections would be that the state would contribute $12.7 million Green Forest is in the top 20 school districts in the state in growth and needs, something that will possibly give it an advantage when it comes to being approved for the state funding, Summers said.

“The state was very pleased that we were looking into using state funds to build new facilities for our growth,” he said. “The growing districts around the state are the ones that have been approved for construction like this.

“We’re early, early, early and this is just phase one of many, many, many phases.”

The total projected cost of the project is higher than what Summers expected.

“It kind of makes you have a lump in your stomach a little because the numbers are higher than you’d like, but that’s where we’re at,” he said. “… One of the factors that really drives up the cost is because they’re so engineered. You have to have sprinkler systems, be ADA-compliant, hallways have to be so wide, high-speed internet throughout. All of your codes are going to be more stringent more than even your home because you’re talking about students and about public buildings.

“It’s just tough sometimes to swallow $400 a square foot or $500 a square foot for safe room areas, but those are the numbers. But, it is very, very exciting and it’s nice that we have started.”

OTHER ACTION

The board approved spending $90,055 on a used 24-passenger bus for students with disabilities.

The bus includes a two-wheelchair station, Summers said.

“I was kind of blown away by that price tag but you can’t really get a new one,” he said. “And if you order today we might get it next year and so this was kind of our best effort. We need it to start the new school year.

The used bus has 20,000 miles on it, the superintendent said.

“A new bus would have been $140,000,” he said.

The board also approved spending $11,338.62 on a new HVAC unit at the high school.

An unexpected expenditure came recently when the company installing poles for new lights on the baseball and softball fields at city park ran into solid rock, Summers said.

“Construction crews have been working to start to drill the hole and then 5 to 6 feet down they hit solid rock, which in the small print of the contract states that falls back on us,” he said. “So, we approved a bid from Long Drilling Services and they have quoted a price of $750 a foot if it’s solid rock and if it turns back to clay then it’s just $50 per foot.”

The board approved spending up to $60,000 for the project.

“We’re hoping it comes in much under that,” Summers said.

The board also learned that the district received a waiver from the state that will allow the district to start the 2024-2025 school year before the originally mandated Aug. 19 date.

That start date will likely be Tuesday, Aug. 13, but will still have to be approved by the board.

The next board meeting will be Tuesday, March 12, one week earlier than normal because of Spring Break.

PERSONNEL APPROVALS The board approved accepting the retirement or resignation of high school principal Tim Booth, math teacher Jim Goins, assistant mechanic Rex Hunter, maintenance secretary Lisa Booth and maintenance worker Gary Marshall.

The board approved the hiring of custodian Tony Schweigart and speech instructor Brenda Newby and the transfer of Adam Wade to the high school for the 2024-2025 school year.

All administrative positions were also rehired for the next school year.