New high school to be ‘green school’

By Jarrod Bray

LITTLE ROCK — Bismarck School District is growing very excited about the proposed plans for the new high school.

The community passed a 12-mill increase last November to help the district upgrade facilities and build a new high school west of the current one.

Although rumors have been floating around that the district was building a sports complex instead of a high school, this is not true.

New funding is targeted specifically for the new high school and existing buildings around campus.

Bismarck will be the fourth school in the state to be a “green school” following two in the Bryant district and one in Greenbrier.

A “green school” is one that is constructed to help conserve energy and allow more natural light in.

It will be equipped with sensors throughout the building that sense movement and light, and when no one is present, the lights automatically go off.

On sunny days, lights will dim to conserve energy and on cloudy days they will get brighter. If one side of the room is getting more natural light, the lights on that side dim and balance the lighting in the room.

Temperature will also be controlled by computer, and if no one is in the room over a period of time, the temperature will adjust to save energy rather than run with an empty room. Air will be reconditioned through chillers and pumped back into the building to help cool the rooms to lessen the workload of the air units.

We will be better equipped technologically to help students succeed in several areas, including a full computer lab that teachers can take their classes to in order to do research, write papers and work on various programs.

Everything will be under one roof, and once the students walk through the front door they won’t have to worry about dealing with the elements, making it easier to supervise students as they move to and from classes.

In the mornings after the bell rings, the interior doors will be locked by a magnet device that will allow someone to leave but not enter without swiping a special card.

Anyone who comes in must go through the office to get a pass before entering the building itself. This also provides added security for the safety of our students.

The new school will allow for the removal of students from old portable buildings and other buildings that are not conducive to the learning environment.

( Jarrod Bray is principal of Bismarck High School.)at a glance

Grades: Nine through 12

Enrollment: 285

Faculty: 23

Mascot: Lions

Colors: Blue and gray

Athletics: 3A football, basketball, track

Principal: Jarrod Bray

Address: 11636 Arkansas 84

Bismarck, AR 71929

Telephone: (501) 865-4888

Web site: www.bismarcklions.net

Tri-Lakes, Pages 56 on 11/20/2008