District chiefs lay out middle school progress, Old Main sale and Sports Complex abatement timelines

At a special meeting that began at 5:30 p.m., North Little Rock School District officials updated the board on multiple construction projects, including progress at the new middle school, asbestos abatement and demolition work tied to the Sports Complex, and plans for Old Main.

Scott Stenger, the district’s chief of staff to the superintendent, walked the board through the middle school work, saying the building is being constructed in three color-coded sections. "A is currently being built," Stenger said, and he added the "topping off ceremony for the 1st section is tentatively planned" for July 27, "pending any weather delays." He also described the sequence: as framing completes in one section, crews will shift to the next.

Stenger and Brian Brown, the district’s chief financial officer, said asbestos abatement at the Police and Courts building (part of the Sports Complex site) is scheduled to begin "on the 22nd of this month" and should take about two weeks; the district will advertise demolition bids and expects demolition work to begin in July. "Those bid packets will be accepted in mid-July," Brown said, and staff will favor contractors who can meet the district’s timeline to finish prior to the start of the school year.

Board members pressed staff on neighborhood impacts and traffic. Stenger said the district will coordinate with the city on traffic reroutes and studies for brief lane closures caused by trucks hauling materials. He noted much of the heavy work will occur at the north end of the campus and "shouldn't be too disruptive," but acknowledged there will be noise and truck traffic during earth-moving operations.

On Old Main, staff said a district walkthrough for employees and principals is planned for the 22nd of the month, a public sale of movable items is to be advertised for June 25, and a broader clean-out is scheduled to begin June 29. Stenger warned that items that are bolted down or that are connected to asbestos-contaminated infrastructure will not be available for immediate removal; some items will be sent to landfill after abatement. He said the district has considered options for storing items the drama department wants to keep and that there is available space at district facilities if needed.

Board members also raised questions about campus commemorative blocks bearing donors’ names. Stenger said the district will inspect those blocks and, if they must be disturbed during demolition, will work to preserve or relocate them on campus where feasible.

Staff said the district has already begun purchasing nonperishable materials now to avoid projected price and freight increases in July. They described the purchases as part of an effort to be "good stewards of everybody's tax money." The district also signaled it will explore weekend or evening hours for the Old Main public viewing to improve accessibility, though equipment moves tied to the June 29 clean-out could limit weekend options.

Next steps: staff will finalize and publish the Old Main public-sale details and the demolition bid packets, run the district walkthrough on the announced date, and return to the board with a more detailed construction timeline later this month.