Further exploration of a more than $7 million Early Childhood Center was approved in a unanimous vote by the Poplar Bluff R-1 Board of Education at Thursday's monthly meeting. Assistant Superintendent of Finance Rod Priest said the project is viable without undue pressure on the budget, due to the current balance in the district's cash reserves.
Priest recommends leveraging an old debt in the amount of $1,830,000, from a 2008 renovation project at the former high school on Victory Lane, by paying it off with cash, putting some of the district's reserves toward the ECH project, and financing the rest.
"R-1 has the capability to pay 100 percent," Priest said. "You can afford it. We just have to decide, once we work on the finance, how much of the reserves you want to put toward it."
Designed by Dille and Traxel Architecture, the more than 34 thousand sq. ft., building would include 15 classrooms, a multipurpose room, and a nearly 23 thousand sq. ft. playground. A connecting hallway will attach the facility to the current kindergarten center and construction bid deadlines are expected to end in August, said architect Ben Traxel.
"At that point... you could pull the plug (on the project) or decide to go forward," Traxel added.
Board members also approved Sides Construction of Cape Girardeau to manage the Oak Grove Elementary School kitchen renovation, set to begin when school dismisses in May to ensure August completion. Sides presented the low bid at just more than $350,000. The amount comes in below budget, which initially was in the $480,000 range, according to Priest.
The renovation will allow for reconfiguration of the kitchen at Oak Grove and expansion to accommodate more students, thus making the facility more efficient with bigger storage capabilities. Oak Grove's kitchen has not been remodeled since the building was completed in 1954.
Architect Mike Pollard, of Dille and Traxel, said he has worked with Sides on several projects and noted it was a reliable company.
Summer school, which will run from June 4-29, will function the same as last year, with Lake Road students attending at Eugene Field and Oak Grove students placed at O'Neal.
Dill said through a partnership with the Missouri Dept. of Health and Senior Services and Chartwells, meals to children 18 and under likely will be available throughout the month of July, free of charge. Though school is not in session during this time, children will be able to go to a location, yet to be determined, for a free breakfast and lunch. While nothing has yet been determined, this is an issue Dill is working to see happen.
Upon the retirement of long-time gifted program teacher Tom Allen at the junior high, board members voted to include Serving the Individual Needs of Gifted Students (SINGS) with other elective courses. The change will allow the administration to hire a teacher to teach three sections of SINGS, along with other electives and will ultimately reduce the overall class size of elective courses.
Board members voted to retain Chartwells as the district's food service provider and approved the financial report, and its Americans with Disabilities Act compliance report.
A special school board reorganization meeting will be held at noon April 10 in the central office board room at 1110 N. Westwood Blvd. The next regularly scheduled board meeting will begin at 7 p.m. April 19 at the same location.