Perry County School District 32 learned Monday the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved $22.4 million in Public Assistance funding to support the Perryville High School recovery project.
This federal pledge aligns with District 32’s previously announced plan to finance a $60 million construction project for PHS. The District will generate $35 million through the recently-passed Proposition K.I.D.S. levy increase, and the remaining $25 million will be funded through FEMA reimbursements, insurance proceeds, and district funds.
"We are incredibly grateful to FEMA, our state leadership, and federal partners for recognizing the urgent need to restore and rebuild Perryville High School," said District 32 Superintendent Dr. Fara Jones, "This commitment from FEMA validates the funding model the district shared at public engagement sessions, on our website, and in the local media in the leadup to the Proposition K.I.D.S. vote. It reinforces our confidence in continuing forward with that plan.”
Contrary to immediate perception, the approved $22.4 million in FEMA funding is not a lump-sum grant or cash payout that has been deposited into district accounts. District 32 will receive this funding through reimbursements as it submits paid receipts throughout the process of constructing the new PHS facility over the coming years.
“It is important for our community to know that FEMA operates strictly on a reimbursement model,” Dr. Jones said. “District 32 will continue to responsibly deploy locally approved funds to pay for construction upfront, after which federal dollars will flow back into our district as work progresses."
Perry County voters approved Proposition K.I.D.S. during the Aug. 4 Primary Election, which allowed the district to increase its levy by $0.2215 per $100 of assessed valuation. Prop K.I.D.S. raises the District's operating levy ceiling to $3.4979 per $100 of assessed valuation from 2026 through 2045, and the ceiling will be reduced by an estimated $.5440 for tax year 2046 and thereafter.
District 32 leaders are working with Sapp Design Architects to finalize drawings on a 147,500 square-foot facility that falls within the $60 million budget.
The facility will feature roughly 35 classroom/instructional spaces, a student commons, a library, a multipurpose center, a gymnasium, a weight room, and locker rooms.
Demolition of the damaged PHS facility concluded Monday and the construction team expects to start bidding the initial phase of the new construction project in the next month.