S ometimes it seems the Watson Chapel School District can’t get a break. And then there was the topping out ceremony this week that seemed to fill the district’s sails with a warm breeze.
A topping out ceremony has symbolic meaning that goes back years — to ancient days, as it was told — and includes the warding off of evil spirits. For those who might not buy into all of the symbolism, however, it was definitely an uplifting day to note the attainment of a solid benchmark in the new construction going on at the district, namely that of a new high school.
The start to the new school started in August 2022 when the district, with not many votes to spare, passed a millage to pay for the new construction. Even with the passage, the way has not been easy. The district had to find additional funding and cut costs, mainly because inflation suddenly moved the price tag for the construction north.
“It’s hard to put it into words, but it’s like a dream come true,” said Mack Milner, president of the school board. “We worked so hard on it. We would get so far, and it was like somebody knocked the feet out from under us. We would charge forward and get going forward again, and so to get to this point, we’re all very excited because now, there’s no stopping us.”
The new construction actually replaces the junior high, which ran out of usefulness after almost 80 years. Across town, in the Pine Bluff School District, more construction is taking place, thanks also to a passed millage increase in 2023. That campus will be finished in summer 2026, not long after Watson Chapel’s opens.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Arkansas’ top educator, Jacob Oliva, was on hand for the ceremony.
“To get to this point, it’s really something great to be a part of,” he said. “It’s not something you get to do very often. It’s a big deal. The community made a commitment several years ago saying our students deserve the best, and today we’re able to deliver on that.”
Yes, it is a big deal. Watson Chapel has had several setbacks, both internal and external. The ceremony showed, however, that school officials have not taken their eye off the goal of delivering a quality education to their students — and in a facility that makes everyone proud. And, hey, if a topping out ceremony has some fringe benefits of keeping bad stuff from happening, bring it on.