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District updates: capital projects on schedule; insurance negotiations continue after tornado damage
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Perry told the Rogers School Board on April 22 that facilities projects across the district are proceeding and that tornado-related insurance negotiations remain unresolved, with insurers validating roughly $14.2 million of about $23 million in claimed losses and issuing $10 million to date.
Superintendent Dr. Perry updated the Rogers School Board on capital projects, ongoing tornado-insurance negotiations and a simulated set of school accountability scores tied to the state's transition to the ATLAS testing system.
Capital projects and timelines
District staff reported progress on multiple capital projects funded through previous bond and capital plans. Lingle Elementary remains under significant renovation; staff said the building will be enclosed and climate-controlled before continued work and that the project timeline extends into late 2025 for completion of the Fine Arts Center. Oakdale Elementary work is advancing, and administrators said they're pleased with design choices and the progress; Northside project work is also expected to be completed this summer.
Dr. Perry noted the district purchased an IT building on East/Eighth (referred to as the IT/administration building) and the board approved a $573,736 GMP for interior renovations. The district also reported rooftop HVAC work and AC installations in several elementary schools (Grace Hill, Reagan, Mathias, and Northside) and said playground furniture purchases for the pre-K program will be funded with leftover COVID grant funds.
Tornado insurance claims and FEMA funds
Dr. Perry and business staff said tornado-related claims remain under negotiation and are the district's primary unresolved fiscal issue. The district reported total claims (excluding a FEMA safe-room grant) are in the neighborhood of $23 million; the insurance companies have validated about $14.2 million and have issued about $10 million in checks so far. Dr. Perry said insurer responses and required documentation have slowed final settlement and that the district has engaged Sedgwick (a third-party administrator) to assist in negotiations across multiple insurers. Lingle's safe room project was described as a FEMA-eligible item with the federal agency covering 75% of its $4.5 million cost.
School letter grades and accountability transition
Staff outlined the state's move from ACT Aspire to the ATLAS assessment system and said the Arkansas Department of Education produced simulated school letter grades for internal analysis (not official). The district emphasized simulated scores are preliminary while cut scores and official grades remain pending state-board approval. District staff noted several schools improved on simulated measures and others were close to moving up a category; administrators said the simulated report helps target building-level supports.
Why it matters
Dr. Perry said that while the district is making construction progress, outstanding insurance negotiations remain a material financial question; he said district counsel has been engaged and that the administration expects continued discussions with insurers and may need to pursue legal remedies if settlement offers do not align with policy coverage. The capital projects and HVAC/AC rollouts are essential to facilities readiness for the coming school year.
Speakers (attributed in coverage): Dr. Perry (superintendent), Jake (finance staff), Dan Kaley (facilities), and other administrative staff who provided project updates and schedule notes.
