PCSSD is in Mills High School’s last stage of integration

Pulaski County, Arkansas – A day of protest was held outside Mills High School by students and faculty around five years ago. They wanted the disparities between the schools in the Pulaski County Special School District to be addressed.

It was a component of the district’s ongoing, multi-decade desegregation case. School administrators did, however, clarify how that might be ending.

The lawsuit aims to achieve unitary status for the district. This indicates that the district’s decision to end racial segregation has been approved by the court.

According to the most recent decision made by a federal judge, Mills High School could not be designated unitary until it had the same building quality as Robinson Middle School.

It took nearly three years to arrive at this point, according to PCSSD Superintendent Charles McNulty, and last week the school board of PCSSD approved the building of the Mills High School extension.

“We are really excited about squaring up and complying with the judge’s orders, but also providing an amazing education experience for students,” said McNulty.

A wing will be constructed to the main building to accommodate more classrooms and common areas. The building’s east side will be expanded to accommodate ten new classrooms for student use.

On the site, a softball field and a brand-new 2,200-seat indoor arena are also planned.

The rear parking lot will be replaced with an arena that has room for ROTC. Beside the football field, a softball field and a new fan concession stand will be constructed.

The project is expected to cost roughly $15 million in total.

Workers have already begun putting up boundaries and bringing gravel onto campus.

District officials anticipate that the project will be completed in one and a half years.