The Pulaski County Special School District hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Mills University Studies High School after nearly 18 months of construction at the school.
The ceremony was attended by at least 50 school faculty and staff, as well as district personnel and members of the PCSSD Board of Education.
“We are finishing up the building portion of our classroom section for our students at Mills High and what it represents is an opportunity for our kids to learn in an open, beautiful, calming space where we can continue to push the efforts of learning in our building. We’re definitely going to do everything in our power to continue that growth process. Here at Mills High School, we have a growth mindset and everything we do is about doing what's right for kids, and this is what's right, for kids,” said Damien Patterson, Mills University Studies High School principal.
Construction at the school began in February 2024 and included three projects. These campus modifications were the addition of 10 classrooms, a new 2,200-seat arena, Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) facilities and a softball field. The ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday, Aug. 4, focused on the classroom additions.
The $35 million project was part of the PCSSD’s Building for the Future bond restructuring passed by voters in November 2021. These facility updates should comply with a request from U.S. District Judge D. Price Marshall Jr. who is overseeing a longtime federal desegregation case. Regular construction updates were provided through
posted on the PCSSD and high school websites and social media.