Pine Bluff, Ark. – On Thursday, Oct. 15, Pine Bluff High School welcomed the public to a red‑ribbon ceremony marking the completion of a 27‑month construction project that delivered a $74 million, 175,000‑square‑foot campus.
Modern facilities for students and families
The new campus includes a 2,000‑seat arena, a modern cafeteria with the Zebra Bistro coffee shop, and a state‑of‑the‑art Career & Technical Education (CTE) wing offering welding, auto‑mechanics, cosmetology, ROTC, banking and finance classes. An expanded football stadium, new turf, upgraded lighting and a repaved south‑side parking lot were also added.
Enhanced security for a larger school
Interim PBSD Superintendent Phillip Carlock said the larger footprint required additional security personnel and more surveillance cameras. Access to certain rooms will be limited to staff with a security code, and new lighting around the interior courtyard improves safety.
Community support drives the project
The $74 million price tag was made possible by the Pine Bluff High School Millage Campaign Committee, a successful 2023 millage increase, and partnership funding secured in 2020. Erika S. Evans, chair of the campaign committee, thanked citizens, board members and volunteers for believing in the school’s future.
“This facility represents what can happen when a community believes in its children and invests in their future,” Evans said.
Alumni and local leaders celebrate
Former student Juan Clay, a 2018 graduate, described the opening as “a passing of the torch” to the next generation. City officials—including Mayor Vivian Flowers, Interim Jefferson County Judge Ivan Whitefield, and City Councilmember Latisha Brunson—joined alumni, teachers and community members in the celebration.
Carlock emphasized the school’s role beyond bricks and mortar: “Our goal is to prepare the next generation of productive citizens, creative thinkers and difference makers. The true measure of this building will be the lives transformed within it.”
What the new campus means for Pine Bluff
Beyond athletics and academics, the campus is expected to serve as a community hub, offering space for events, meetings and extracurricular programs. The expanded CTE wing aligns with local workforce needs, giving students hands‑on training that can lead directly to jobs in the region.
With the new facilities now open, Pine Bluff High School aims to strengthen educational outcomes, enhance safety and deepen community ties for years to come.
Original reporting: KATV Little Rock (local) — read the source article.
