Bentonville To Get 2nd High School

[-Painted Fan-]

According to Channel 40/29 News, the Bentonville School Board voted tonight to build a 2nd high school, as well as 3 new elementary schools, a new middle school, and new junior high school at a cost of around $200 million.  The vote will now be put before the citizens of Bentonville.
  This will make the 3rd new high school in that area, following Springdale's and Rogers'.  And folks have said that the population boom in NWA has subsided.  I don't think so.

[GeorgeWBush]

There goes the Bentonville athletic department.

Fayetteville will now officially begin it's reign of domination.

[RGP]

Where's Lunney going to go next?

[silvers]

Fayetteville needs a second HS.

[R. A.™]

There goes the Bentonville athletic department.

Fayetteville will now officially begin it's reign of domination.

Especially Football... Look for Lunney to start looking when it gets closer to reality

[RD™]

7A Northwest

[Quite Frankly]

Or just 7A.

[RD™]

Or just 7A.

pwned

[Quite Frankly]

[7AFball]

Yes, the population growth has subsided, but there is still an overload on present facilities, too much to continue and then wait to see if the growth continues. The board will vote to build another school, perhaps a bit smaller than initially planned earlier this year. Don't know if enrollment figures would change enough in 2009 to put either school in Bentonville down to 6A classification. The final student figures might be interesting. Roger's split will easily put each school still in 7A but Bentonville is another matter. Van Buren will drop to 6A for sure.

[razrbakfan024]

Bentonville is building a 9th grade building...NOT another high school.

[R. A.™]

Bentonville is building a 9th grade building...NOT another high school.

Article found on the NWA Times website 12/18/2007


BENTONVILLE - Bentonville will become the second school district in Benton County to have two high schools, the Bentonville School Board decided Monday night.

The vote came after long discussion and a split vote. Board members Bruce Painter, Travis Riggs, Scott Packnett and Marshall Ney voted in favor of the motion to accept the proposal that would cost $ 209 million and include a second high school. Board members Doylene Fuqua, Beth Haney and Joe Falcon voted against the motion.

The board essentially had two options - build a separate, essentially equal high school or add onto the existing Bentonville High School campus, either by constructing a third standalone building or adding onto the existing buildings. The 2020 Task Force - a community group charged with researching various issues then making recommendations regarding the school district's future - decided it is time for a second high school.

A second high school is estimated to cost $ 100 million, compared to nearly $ 37 million for adding more square footage to the current BHS campus. In terms of millage, the difference between the plans is a 2. 01-mill increase for one option and a 3. 99-mill increase for the second option. The increase would also pay for upgrades to existing facilities, another junior high school, another middle school and three more elementary schools. The increase includes money for technology and operational costs.

Several people spoke to the board regarding the second high school issue, and all were in support of having the second school.

Former board member Rob Adair - who spoke in favor of a second high school several years ago - addressed the board.

"Now is the time to move forward. Tiger Pride is something that is important to people in Bentonville," he said. "But let's not let pride get in the way of making the best decision for the most children."

Board members spoke their thoughts, and the opinions ranged from being strongly supportive of a second high school, such as what Ney and Riggs said, to Haney's saying she still feels in "a quandary"about the issue. She feels the district should wait to build a second high school, but she also believes BHS needs more space.

Falcon proposed another idea, which is to hold off on construction altogether in the district for about a year out of concern with recent news about souring economics in the area.

Deciding how much money to request for technology and operational costs was another major discussion point for the board. The original idea from the task force and the school board was to seek 1 mill each for technology and operations. Superintendent Gary Compton suggested a one-fourth-mill increase for each, and the board settled on a compromise - onehalf mill each for technology and operations. The primary concerns were to meet all the district's needs and to provide voters with a palatable millage increase.

"If we jeopardize this vote, we can't go again until March 2009," Fuqua said.

The election will be set for March 2008.

[olddog79]

I bet fayetteville is loving this.

[SavedbyGrace]

This will be detremental to the Bentonville athletic program.  Sorry to hear about this!!!

[hornet2]

Now I think that it will come down something like this. Bentonville will split for the 2010 season and Fayetteville and Cabot and Conway for 2012 or 2014 and Bryant and Rogers (again) for the 2016 season. The West will continue to grow and as a result in the future Ft Smith Southside and Northside will be put in the Central Conference.

[Quite Frankly]

How many times does it need to be said that Fayetteville is not splitting?

[SavedbyGrace]

If Hornet's prediction is possibly correct, football in Central Arkansas could be very interesting.  This would definitely give us more competition in the Central conference.  It's already competitive, but I have a lot of respect for both Ft. Smith programs!

[RDFT]

How many times does it need to be said that Fayetteville is not splitting?

In the near term, you're correct. However, at some point they will not have a choice.

[Quite Frankly]

How many times does it need to be said that Fayetteville is not splitting?

In the near term, you're correct. However, at some point they will not have a choice.

They are not growing like the others.  In fact they are flat.  Whatever they do will be designed to handle the marginal growth that Fay will have for the next 25 years.

Fay doesn't have the students.  Book it.

[bulldogs1159]

I bet fayetteville is loving this.

God forbid the biggest town in the area go to two schools.

[Quite Frankly]

The size of the town has nothing to do with student enrollment.  Lots of the UA and retirees make up the Fay district.

They don't draw from other towns are areas either.  They are locked at each side.

[hornet2]

The size of the town has nothing to do with student enrollment.  Lots of the UA and retirees make up the Fay district.

They don't draw from other towns are areas either.  They are locked at each side.

Fayetteville stuck at 1900 students in top 3 grades for the next 10 years? That is a fantasy. Time will tell.

[Kingfisher]

The size of the town has nothing to do with student enrollment.  Lots of the UA and retirees make up the Fay district.

They don't draw from other towns are areas either.  They are locked at each side.

Fayetteville stuck at 1900 students in top 3 grades for the next 10 years? That is a fantasy. Time will tell.

She's absolutely correct. The growth margin will continue at the current trend. The residential market in Fayetteville is almost stagnant.

[hornet2]

The size of the town has nothing to do with student enrollment.  Lots of the UA and retirees make up the Fay district.

They don't draw from other towns are areas either.  They are locked at each side.

Fayetteville stuck at 1900 students in top 3 grades for the next 10 years? That is a fantasy. Time will tell.

She's absolutely correct. The growth margin will continue at the current trend. The residential market in Fayetteville is almost stagnant.

Time will tell.