Story by DDNS Reporter Jerry Burton

Construction has begun on a new high school in the Wynne School District, more than a year
after an EF-3 tornado destroyed most of the campus. Faculty and staff are expected to transition to the new building in early 2027, assuming no delays.

The communications director said the school and architects met with faculty, staff and
community members in multiple interest meetings to learn what they would like to see
incorporated into the new building. He said there is a lot of excitement among the community
associated with the construction.

“The modern look and the spaces included are something unique to our area and we feel we will
be a huge draw for faculty, staff and future students,” Russell said.
However, Meek said not every suggestion will be incorporated in the reconstruction. He said
decisions will be made after the bids are finalized to see what will fit within the budget.

“Ultimately, like everything else, it comes down to affordability,” Meek said. “There are probably some things that people would love to see in it that we either didn’t have in the old buildings, so therefore it’s not going to be replaced, or it’s things that are not cost-effective.”

When designing the look of the new school, Russell said the district tried creating a campus that
integrated the Wynne brand and identity. Renderings of the new building showcase a campus
with highlights of the school’s blue and gold colors. The new building also incorporates Wynne’s
mascot, the yellowjacket, in its design. Meek said they also wanted easily identifiable front entrances and the ability to section off parts of the school for different events.

The high school principal said insurance will help with part of the funding for reconstruction and
the district is looking for further support from state partnerships and FEMA.
Kenneth Moore, Wynne school district superintendent, said cost estimates cannot be released
because insurance negotiations are still ongoing.
Russell said weather is the biggest challenge the school has faced in the reconstruction process.

“The things we cannot control provide the most significant challenges,” Russell said. “We are in
constant contact with our architect and contractor to limit delays.”

Meek said another challenge is monitoring the reconstruction project while also actively running
the temporary campus, where the Wynne High School is operating following the tornado.
Meek said the new high school building will be very exciting for the community and he hopes it
raises morale. He said moving from the temporary campus to a 21st-century building with
modern amenities will be very exciting.

“Just having indoor restrooms will be exciting for most of us, because everything we have now
you have to travel outside to it,” Meek said. “It’ll be really exciting at the time but, just like
anything else that you find, once you get into it, it just becomes your norm.”

Despite the excitement, Meek said the students who experienced the tornado and will graduate
before the construction is complete must not be forgotten. He said these students will likely never set foot in the new building and bringing it up reminds them of bad memories, so they
don’t discuss it often.

“One of the things that we’ve tried to do is provide as close to a real experience as we can on
this campus and make this campus a home in itself and understand that this is their high
school,” Meek said. “This is what they’re going to graduate from, let’s make memories here.”
Moore said he wants students to enter the new building and see a fresh start that will lead to
new memories.

Russell and Meek said they want to give their students the best opportunities possible, provide
a positive culture on campus and want them excited about coming to school.

“The biggest hope is that we will return to normalcy and continue to grow as a school and
community,” Russell said. “A disaster is a challenging time. You learn a lot about resilience and
strength. Seeing how our faculty, staff, and students carried that burden and overcame it has
been nothing short of inspirational.”