A new Rogers school is getting closer to being ready for a grand opening in the fall.
Janie Darr Elementary, named after the current Rogers Schools Superintendent, is nearing completion. The elementary school is in a rapidly growing area of the district in Benton County.
The $13 million school is 90,000 square feet with colorful and energy efficient classrooms.
“Lighting sensors to basically have the lights on when people are in the room and the lights will go off when there's nobody in the room,” said David Cauldwell, District Business Manager.
The new school sits on 16 acres in the southwest part of the district. With other schools reaching capacity, this elementary can hold up to 750 students which help ease full schools elsewhere in the district.
"This year it looks like our growth when you take it on an average for the whole year there's going to be somewhere around 250 to 300 students, ours is starting to increase again,” said Cauldwell.
The overwhelming growth makes this 15th elementary school in the district and over the next few years you could see more.
“If this growth pattern continues as we are in right now, where were going to grow 300 a year, we would probably have the need for another elementary school in the next four to five years,” explained Cauldwell.
The district boundary committee has come up with proposed zones to determine which students will attend the school.
The school board has not yet approved the boundaries, they meet Feb. 19.
Construction is expected to be completed in May with the school opening its doors in the fall.