RISON - Superintendent Davy King gave the Cleveland County School Board an update Monday night on the district’s bonds that will fund the construction of the new gym while informing the board the district is getting ready to put the former New Edinburg School property up for sale.Voters in the Cleveland County School District approved a 6-mill tax increase in November that will fund a $13.165 million bond issue to support construction of a new gym at the Rison School campus. About $12 million of that bond issue is going toward the construction cost of the new gym while the remainder will pay off some of the district’s existing debt to roll in into the bond issue. The state also awarded the district about $2.7 million in partnership money to help fund the project.King said Stephens, Inc., which will be selling the bonds for the district, informed him they expect the bonds to be sold in April with the district receiving the funds shortly after that.Architect Steve Elliott of Little Rock is still working on what will be the final plans for the new gym, King said. The proposed facility will seat more than 2,000 people and will have a concession stand and restroom area that can be accessed from the football field as well. The gym will be built over the student parking lot l0cated between the existing gym and the Pride field house.King said he hopes to see construction begin in June. One of the first things that will be done, he said, is widening the road that curves around the field house to the elementary. He said plans are to continue using school bus circle next to the elementary during the construction process.Once construction begins, King said student parking will be moved to the north parking lot next to the agri building as well as the cafeteria parking area. AFter the new gym is completed, King said the old gym will be torn down and a new student parking lot will be built there.New Edinburg Property...
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