Gentry roof project approved

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

— Several school districts in Benton and Washington counties, including Gentry, are in line to receive portions of nearly $13.5 million for new school construction or renovations.

The Arkansas Division of Public School Academic Facilities and Transportation approved 219 Arkansas projects last week that include $188.7 million in state funding. Another 83 projects were rejected based on applications received, including projects in Prairie Grove and Siloam Springs.

Springdale, Rogers, Elkins, Gentry, Pea Ridge, Prairie Grove, Siloam Springs and West Fork school districts were among districts with approved projects.

The funding is referred to as state partnership money.

The smallest amount for a single project, $173,899, went to Gentry for a roof replacement at Gentry Middle School. Gentry received more than $390,000 for roof projects in the district. The largest dollar amount was $5.6 million for Elkins, where the district is planning construction of a high school.

The dollar amounts represent the state portion of the projects. School districts still have to come up with local money to complete them. The state’s share is based on a calculation known as the wealth index that, in basic terms, attempts to provide funding on a scale that gives more to poorer school districts and less, or none, to wealthier districts.

The partnership program resulted from an Arkansas Supreme Court decision in 2002 requiring all students attend public schools with adequate and equitable facilities. Since then, the state has contributed $411.9 million to build new or renovate existing school facilities across the state. Some 814 projects have been completed and another 334 are in progress, according to the state education department. Projects that have been rejected by the public facilities division can still be built by a school district but each will have to find its own method to fund them.

School News, Pages 11 on 04/27/2011