Greenwood voters approve millage for new public school freshmen center

Voters in the Greenwood Public School district Tuesday (Sept. 16) approved a millage hike that will be used to construct a new freshman center adjacent to Greenwood High School. An unofficial tally reported by the Sebastian County Election Commission showed of 1,718 votes cast, the 1.9 mil increase passed by a vote of 933 (54.31%) to 785 (45.69%).

Speaking after the votes were counted, Superintendent John Ciesla said the new facility to be built as a result of the millage hike would be a benefit to the district for decades to come.

"We're so excited for our students," he said. "For the future of Greenwood, it will impact generations. That's what you build facilities for and that's what we're excited for and what it will mean for this community.”

With the rate hike approved Tuesday, Ciesla said the district would issue bonds to fund the new $10 million to $12 million freshman center. The millage increase is expected to bring revenues of about $590,000 per year to the district, which will be used to pay off the 30 year bonds, he said.

Bonds should be issued by January with construction scheduled to begin shortly thereafter on the 53,000 square foot facility that will be able to house 400 students, according to Ciesla, who noted that work could take place even earlier.

"We hope to (start construction) by the first of the year, but we do have preliminary site work we can do to get the plan moving along with some demo work and such. But as far as the process, January 1 is our target date.”

The facility, which will house 23 classrooms – 15 regular classrooms and seven labs for science and computer labs, as well as large groups – will relieve capacity issues at the district's lower level schools. Since the 2001-2002 school year, Ciesla said the district has seen enrollment growth of 568 students.

The new freshman center would remove freshman from Greenwood Junior High and allow the district to move fifth graders from the district's two elementary schools to a new fifth and sixth grade middle school, shifting seventh graders to a new seventh and eighth grade junior high.

The configuration of the sophomore through senior high school would remain the same, though the high school's amenities would be used by the freshman center, Ciesla said, indicating that the cafeteria, performing arts center and other facilities would be used by all four grades and would save the district money by not constructing those as part of the new campus.

Of the millions needed for the project, the state has already committed $2.3 million to the project through matching funds, Ciesla said, due to overcrowding issues in the district.

Ciesla said the Greenwood School Board approved a construction manager contract with Beshears Construction last week to construct the freshman center.

"They've done all of (our construction projects) since I've been here and this is the start of my ninth year," he added.

Before Beshears can begin and before ground can be broken, Ciesla said Tuesday that architecture and engineering work must still be completed.

"We've just had the renderings that you were able to see, so that'll take some time. But we'll immediately start work on that. It'll be (done) as quick as possible due to the fact that we're in a crunch.”

The approval of the millage hike goes against a previous millage increase requested by the district in March 2010. Voters rejected – 58% against to 42% for – a 2.8 mil increase that would have funded a third elementary building estimated then to cost $14.2 million.

Voters in Fort Smith also recently rejected a millage increase that would have funded expanded services at the city's public library. The request for a two mil increase was rejected by a vote of 64.02% against to 35.98% for.

Ciesla said he was thrilled to have the positive outcome on Tuesday night.

"We just appreciate the support and I know our students will benefit for many years to come and we just appreciate the support."