Woodlawn To Pursue Two Projects

RISON - The Woodlawn School Board voted last to hire Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects of Little Rock to design a new family and consumer science/ careers center for the high school as well as look at ways to expand the school cafeteria. Polk Stanley Wilcox was one of three firms to make presentations to the Woodlawn School Board during its regular monthly meeting held last Monday, Sept. 16. The other two firms were Jackson Brown Palculict Architects of Little Rock and Architecture Plus, Inc. from Fort Smith. Superintendent Dr. Kevin Hancock said the contract with Polk Stanley Wilcox was finalized on Tuesday. Hancock said the projects will be included in the district's new Facilities Master Plan, noting that there will be a public meeting on the Master Plan before the start of next month's school board meeting on Oct. 16. Hancock said replacing the aging family and consumer science building and expanding the cafeteria have been on the district's Facilities Master Plan for the past few years. Every other year, the Arkansas Department of Education requires each school district to submit a Facilities Master Plan to project their building, infrastructure and other facility needs over the next 10 years. Hancock said growing enrollment was a factor in pursuing both projects. While family and consumer science (formerly called home economics) is a high school level course, Woodlawn's existing family and consumer science classroom is located in a stand-alone building behind the elementary school, and completely separate from the rest of the high school campus. Hancock also noted that it is located in the oldest building on the Woodlawn School campus. While no formal plans have been developed, Hancock said the family and consumer science project will actually be considered an expansion of the high school. He said they are moving forward with the idea of designing the new family and consumer science classroom to essen...