PCSSD approves Harris renovations as interim receiving site while College Station is rebuilt

The Pulaski County Special School District board voted May 13 to approve a $2.14 million renovation package at Harris Elementary — a measure the district’s administration says is needed to prepare Harris to receive students while College Station Elementary is rebuilt.

Administration presented a site plan and funding outline by construction lead “mister Johnson,” saying the district anticipates using $8 million of second‑lien bond proceeds earmarked for College Station plus roughly $2.23 million in insurance proceeds for damaged Building 1. Harris was allocated $2 million in the district’s planning documents; the board approved a specific renovation contract for 28,900 square feet at $2,140,000 to allow work this summer aimed at receiving relocated students in fall 2025 if required.

The vote drew on public comment earlier in the meeting, when parents and community advocates urged clearer communication and an effort to avoid uprooting students. “If we’re going to be displaced ... that’s jeopardizing our retention of our students,” said Britney Walker, a parent who urged the district to keep College Station…