Jonesboro, AR – Jonesboro Right Now – Anticipation for the new Valley View High School addition remains high, but students will have to wait until after winter break to step inside the facility.

The construction of the 22,149 square-foot building was approved in January 2025 and has seen significant progress over the last year. However, issues arose when non-compliant materials were found installed on the project in February.

Superintendent Roland Popejoy confirmed to JRN that the failed materials involved masonry and masonry components. He added that removing and replacing the block to meet and exceed code requirements caused a two-and-a-half to three-month delay, pushing the expected move-in date from mid-fall to January 2027.

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Back in February, Popejoy said that any work to correct the issues would not result in additional costs for residents. C.R. Crawford Construction, the company behind the project, absorbed the financial impact of the rework.

“They have ensured through their processes that the school and the taxpayers’ money that is funding this build, you know, in no way has any additional cost been incurred by our district,” he said.

While the timeline shifted, the district is prepared to manage the delay during the upcoming fall semester without interrupting classes.

Popejoy said heavy equipment such as welding machines will remain operational in their current spaces and will be relocated to the new shop during a school break so students won’t miss out on hands-on learning.

The district will continue utilizing creative master scheduling to maximize its limited footprint by strategically pairing larger, hands-on agriculture mechanics classes with smaller, classroom-based agriculture business courses.

For Popejoy, getting into the new space is ultimately about making sure the students are safe.

“We’re able to spread that more out; students are able to spread out and do projects with larger space available; then obviously safety is still going to be our top priority, but it’s not going to be as concerning because you’re not overlapping as much with the limited space,” he said.

As progress continues on the main facility, the district recently broke ground on a brand-new 5,037-square-foot band addition located on the north side of the campus.

“Our band has been highly successful and is growing immensely,” Popejoy said. “Two years ago we had 75 students in band, last year we had 96, and this year we are right at 130, and so that obviously shows the need for additional space.”

Site fencing and parking lot demolition began on July 24, and C.R. Crawford is aiming to finish the band facility in or near January 2027, right alongside the main high school addition.

Inside the existing band room, renovations are already underway to maximize current space. Popejoy said crews recently knocked down walls to combine former rooms and uniform closets into a single instrument storage area. A temporary wall will be erected to safely separate students from the active construction zone as they utilize the newly expanded storage space.

“Whenever you more than double or right at double your size within a two- to three-year period, we’ve got to be making sure that we’re more than doubling our space, and that’s what we’re doing,” he added.

Once complete, the main addition will feature roughly 8,000 square feet of dedicated storm shelter space, containing six classrooms with heavy storm-rated windows, thick concrete ceilings, and specialized fresh air returns.

As crews pivot toward laying utilities and pouring the foundation for the new band building, Popejoy said the district’s focus remains firmly fixed on the finish line.

“Whenever you’ve got growing programs, and you want to ensure the students have the best instructional opportunities and opportunities to pursue their interests and their career goals, which is our focus here, it’s a priority for us to ensure that our students have those facilities to foster that type of learning,” he said.

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