A new state-of-the-art high school -- Pea Ridge Manufacturing and Business Academy -- is well on the way to open this fall under the direction of Charley Clark, director, and Jacqueline Brownell, assistant director.
Two instructors were hired Monday night by the Pea Ridge School Board. Cathryn Segur is the new sales and retail instructor; Elisha Escajeda is the health care management instructor. Two teachers -- Ali Johnson and Ben Love -- transferred from the middle school to PRMBA. Johnson has a background in English and history; Love has a background in science and math.
Escajeda and her husband both graduated from PRHS in 1996. A registered nurse with 14 years experience, Escajeda worked 10 years for Mercy and the last four teaching clinicals at the University of Arkansas.
"I'm excited to come back and teach. I had a very positive experience here ... teachers pushed me to do my best," she said. "I want to give the students some of the same opportunities that I had."
"They will be a great asset," Clark said of the two new instructors. "We're very excited to have them on board."
Segur earned an international MBA from Vierick Leuven Gent Management School.
Clark said PRMBA received a $250,000 grant from the Walton Family Foundation which will be used for construction and remodeling, the first phase of which is already underway. Partitions are being constructed in the safe room on the high school campus to provide space for classes. The west wing of the high school will be remodeled and the current agriculture shop will be upgraded. A warehouse is to be constructed between the high school and safe room to house industrial technology. The School Board approved seeking of bids for that phase at Monday's meeting.
"With the $250,000 and the $600,000 from the state," Clark said, "We'll be able to open a state-of-the-art high school with little to no local costs."
"I want to acknowledge Mrs. Brownell for her hard work. She was instrumental in the grant process," Clark said.
Clark commended Mrs. Holly Dayberry, Aurelian Sennett and Kohl's for landscaping around the storm shelter.
"Kohl's brought about 15 employees and helped plant ... and granted $1,500 to the outdoor classroom project," Clark said.
Clark said work on the west wing of the high school will begin when school dismisses.
General News on 05/14/2014