RISON - The Cleveland County School Board approved a response letter Monday night to the Arkansas Division of Public School Academic Facilities and Transportation Commission that outlines how the district's intends to address facility needs in the future.
Superintendent Craig Dupuy presented the letter to the board during its regular monthly meeting Monday night. He said he would send the letter to the commission by certified mail on Tuesday The letter that Dupuy prepared was included in a packet delivered to each board member before the meeting. Dupuy said the letter was in response to a meeting that he and School Board President Harrell Wilson had with the commission in September in Little Rock. That meeting was prompted by a state law requiring a school district to have a conference with the facilities commission whenver a millage request that would fund projects included in the district's Facilities Master Plan failed to pass.
Voters within the Cleveland County School District rejected a 5-mill tax increase during a special election held in August. Some of that funding would have supported projects that were in the district's latest Master Plan.
In composing the letter, Dupuy (continued from page 1) told the board that he conferred with Scotty Holderfield, who handles school facilities issues for the Southeast Arkansas Education Cooperative, and Soncha Newton, area project manager for the Division of Public School Academic Facilities and Transportation Commission.
Board member Sheila Towery asked about why the gym/arena project was included in the letter since it had been rejected by voters. He explained that the projects included in the letter reflect the projects that were being proposed with the 5-mill increase put before voters in August, which is what prompted the conference with the state and the subsequent response letter.
Dupuy noted that he intentionally made the letter general in scope rather than of...
To access content, please login or purchase a subscription.