The session on the authorized submitting of the Masks Act is to be broadcast

A meeting of the Little Rock School Board to decide whether to legally challenge State Law 1002 of 2021, which prohibits school authorities from requiring students and staff to wear masks, will be streamed live today at 7 p.m.

This is a change from a previously announced plan to hold the special board meeting at STEAM Magnet High School’s hall after a public forum on the school district facilities.

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The forum – intended by the district leaders to share with the public and receive feedback on plans for building and campus improvements to be financed through the possible expansion of existing property tax mills – will continue to take place at 5:30 p.m. in Hall be open to citizens who choose to participate in person. It is also broadcast on YouTube at www.lrsdlive.com.

After the forum tonight, the district leaders will meet again in the district administration building for the board meeting on the possible lawsuit.

Individuals will not be able to attend the special meeting, but members of the public will be able to comment on the board through the Zoom online meeting platform and / or view the special meeting on various platforms including YouTube at www.lrsdlive.com.

People can use this link to post comments on the school board on the mask issue: https://bit.ly/3C9ezJ3.

The same link can also be used by people to indicate that they would like to comment in person via Zoom. All requests for public comments must be posted by 1 p.m. today.

Superintendent Mike Poore announced the Tuesday school council meeting change at Pinnacle View Middle School at the second of five facility forums held over three weeks.

Poore said there was a mechanical problem with the ventilation system in Hall earlier this week. This, combined with the difficulty of setting up an external board meeting with zoom capabilities, made the change necessary.

At Tuesday’s facility forum, Poore and Kelsey Bailey, the district’s chief finance and operations officer, presented a tentative list of $ 300 million in construction projects.

This includes a new kindergarten through eighth grade on the site of the vacant McClellan High and a new high school in West Little Rock.

Other projects include new ceilings, floors, paint, windows, LED lighting and roofs throughout the 21,000 student district.

The school committee will meet at a meeting on August 19 to decide whether to adopt a proposed $ 12.4 million extension to property tax to fund facility plans for voters in a November 2 election.

The Millage expansion would not increase a property owner’s annual taxes, but would require property owners to pay taxes for an additional 19 years beyond the 2033 expiration date.

In response to questions from an audience of about 30 on Tuesday, Bailey said that a new high school in West Little Rock would likely be built in the Pinnacle View parking lot and the West High School of Innovation, and not necessarily expand into the district’s ownership but would be vacant land east of the School of Innovation.

Facility forums also take place on Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. on Central High and Mondays at 5:30 p.m. on Parkview Magnet High.