Community Joins Forces for a 21^st Century Fayetteville High School

Parents, teachers, business leaders, and school officials launch effort to build new Fayetteville High School

FAYETTEVILLE – A diverse coalition of Fayetteville citizens gathered in the front lobby of Fayetteville High School Tuesday to launch an effort to build a 21^st Century Fayetteville High School.  The proposed new facility, designed with input from the entire community, includes a learning center that incorporates advanced technologies, a performing arts center and a campus better integrated into the neighborhood.  These facilities will better prepare students for 21^st Century jobs and provide an incentive for businesses to locate in the area.

Supporters of the proposal to build a new high school on the site of the current Fayetteville High School say that a new learning center is essential for our community.  Citing facilities that cannot support today’s technology, a cafeteria that is past capacity, and a lack of adequate performance space for the band and choir, the campaign committee made their case for the new school facility.

“The current Fayetteville High School was built in the 1950s, to meet the demands of our community over 55 years ago.  Back then only 20,000 people lived in Fayetteville.  Now, nearly 70,000 of us call Fayetteville home,” said Campaign Co-Chair Missy Kincaid.  “We need to invest today in a learning center that can accommodate our growing population and provide our children with the education they need to succeed in a 21^st Century workforce.”

Campaign co-chairs Missy Kincaid and Fred Vorsanger said they have organized a campaign committee that represents the diverse community, made up of parents, seniors, city officials, business leaders and University of Arkansas officials.  Vorsanger said that the campaign committee will make a deliberate effort to reach every constituency in the community and make the case that a new school will benefit everyone in Fayetteville.  [NOTE:  A list of campaign committee members will be released in the coming days]

Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce President Steve Clark said, “This new learning center will not only prepare our children and grandchildren for 21^st Century jobs, but also pave the way for new businesses to locate in our community.  Businesses are attracted to communities with a strong public education foundation to prepare the next generation as well as to attract highly qualified employees.  This new facility will make Fayetteville stronger all the way around.”

The Fayetteville School Board voted recently to authorize construction of the new high school, the issue now goes before the voters during a special election on September 15^th, 2009.

###