(KATV) One of the largest school districts is completing a 10-million dollar renovation. The Pulaski County Special School District is giving a face lift to the majority of the schools.
There are about 17,000 students who will return on August 20th and they need schools to be proud of.
It took nearly a year to plan and crews only had the summer to do all the updates. The goal is safe, warm and dry.
In some classrooms, students would have to watch for leaky roofs, but that and a long list of issues have been repaired at about 30 of the 36 schools. Several of the schools not on the list were built last year.
Some teachers already returning to prepare for the school year are seeing the difference. Superintendent Dr. Jerry Guess says, "They see the roofs being replaced. They see new paint, new tile, carpet, HVAC systems, concrete floors and media centers. I think it's a wonderful time and teachers and students are going to be excited."
Even though the district is in fiscal distress, Dr. Guess says the funds were restricted for construction and had to follow desegregation requirements. "We had 10-million dollars in a building fund that we have access to, to help make these changes in our buildings. So we very carefully planned for the most bang for the buck."
They decided to focus on safety. For example, the entrance at Jacksonville High School used to have steep outdoor steps. Now the aesthetics are more pleasing, but more important it is safe.
"We have actually had to do some work on playgrounds were there were exposed concrete barriers to try and improve safety. We're refinishing basketball floors because they haven't been refinished in quite a while and that surface becomes sleek and dangerous," Dr. Guess says.
He continues, "We are encountering a lot of excitement from parents who are enrolling their children in our schools and looking forward to a good 2012-2013 school year."
Crews are on schedule, but might have some minor work to do even after school starts.
They plan to do more renovations but there isn't a timeline yet. Dr. Guess said that the facilities are one reason the district has not been declared unitary. So there is still a lot of work to do.
