Parents in Pulaski County express worries about the finances of certain primary schools

Pulaski County, Arkansas – Parents and community members expressed their dissatisfaction with what they perceive to be subpar facilities at College Station and Harris Elementary Schools during Tuesday night’s board meeting of the Pulaski County Special School District (PCSSD).

Brittany McCoy-Walker, whose two children attend College Station Elementary School, was one of those parents.

“Those plans were carried out and finished in Mills, Robinson, and Sylvan Hills,” McCoy-Walker stated. The College Station project has not advanced.

McCoy-Walker is referring to the 2021 passage of the PCSSD’s Building for the Future plan.

It was a plan to use $80 million in bonds to upgrade the district’s schools.

This includes spending $3 million apiece to retrofit Harris Elementary and College Station Elementary.

According to College Station grandma Kellaneese Parker, “they have been allocating funds to retrofit College Station for years.” “College Station last underwent renovations in 1960, twelve years before I was born, as I mentioned in the meeting.”

This month’s meeting packet states that the district hasn’t yet addressed Harris and College Station because some of their early initiatives have turned out to be more expensive than anticipated.

According to the package, only $23 million of the original $80 million is left, and Joe T. Robinson will receive a large portion of it because of their expanding enrollment.

However, the board stated that they are aware of the citizens’ concerns and wish to address them, which is why they adopted a plan that calls for taking on a second lien bond in order to generate additional revenue.

According to the district, this will enable them to invest at least $10 million in the two elementary schools.

Although Tuesday night’s talks are just the beginning, McCoy-Walker stated that she will believe it when she sees improvement.

McCoy-Walker remarked, “All we have are promises, but I won’t believe it until we see action.” It’s just talk till then.

Dr. Charles McNulty, the district superintendent, issued the following statement regarding the ongoing discussions:

“We understand the frustration in our community, and we strive to make sure that our students are getting the same quality education, both in the instructional phase and in the facilities phase.”