Fayetteville residents gathered Friday for a topping‑out ceremony marking the completion of the primary structure of the new Woodland Junior High School campus, according to Arkansas Online. The event, hosted by the Fayetteville School District, construction firm Nabholz and architecture firm Modus Studio, highlighted the project’s focus on student wellness and community heritage.
Rob Dodd, Nabholz’s vice president of operations, explained the ancient Scandinavian tradition behind the ceremony, noting that an evergreen tree—symbolizing a good spirit—was placed atop the building alongside an American flag. The flag, he said, represents the “freedoms and liberties of living in the greatest nation on the planet.”
The 160,000‑square‑foot campus sits on a 27‑acre site near Joyce Boulevard and Crossover Road and is designed to accommodate between 600 and 900 seventh‑ and eighth‑grade students beginning fall 2027. Features include exposed wood, large windows, high ceilings, outdoor classrooms, and preserved historic barns that will become an outdoor learning space and greenhouse.
District officials aim for the building to become Arkansas’s first WELL‑certified school, a standard that measures how design impacts human health and well‑being. Chris Baribeau, co‑founder and principal architect at Modus, said the goal is to create an “aspirational, warm, inviting” environment. The project’s guaranteed maximum price, approved by the school board in September 2025, is $99,650,513.
Julie Williams, the district’s deputy superintendent, praised the community’s commitment to healthy learning spaces, while School Board President Tim Hudson called the school “a very, very important investment in our community.” Construction will continue through next summer, with the campus slated to open for the 2027‑28 school year. Additional district projects include a new centrally located Ramay Junior High, renovations to John L. Colbert Middle School, and a future magnet high school at the current Ramay site.
What’s next: The district plans to finalize interior work this summer and begin staffing and enrollment preparations for the 2027‑28 academic year. Community members can attend upcoming open houses and board meetings to stay informed about the school’s progress.
Sources: arkansasonline.com
