R-X approves plan to move forward with storm shelter grant requests

BROSELEY — The Twin Rivers R-X board agreed Tuesday on a relationship with Dille Traxel Architecture Firm to move forward with pursuing funding for three shelters.

The shelters would each be on the three different campuses. The board is requesting funding through FEMA for the projects, which — if approved — would fund 75% to 90% of the projects.

The relationship with Dille Traxel is the last step in applying for the grant funding. From here, the applications will go to FEMA for review.

Through this agreement, if approved for funding Dille and Traxel would be contracted to build the structures. Unless approved, the district will not owe Dille Traxel anything and their fees will be included in the requested amount to FEMA, according to board member Bruce Goodrich.

The funding requests include a tornado-safe structure at Fisk, Qulin and Broseley. Each is a separate request that will be reviewed separately. Not necessarily all three will be approved. FEMA may approve one request, but not the others.

The FEMA funding would extend to the structure itself including bathrooms, but would not include anything else the board may approve to do with them. For instance, A/C, acoustic padding and flooding beyond concrete would not be covered with the grants.

Additionally, the board may approve later in the process to make the facilities into classroom space or cafeterias for it when not being used as a shelter. Any inclusions such as desks to make the facilities into classrooms would be at the district’s expense. Additions would include connecting the structure to any existing buildings.

However, right now the board’s primary concern is to make sure there’s somewhere safe on each campus to take students if a several weather warning or watch such as a tornado should come during school hours. Under the FEMA grant requests, the facilities would also be required to be opened to the public within a two mile radius in the case of a warning.

While there isn’t a timeline for approval, the applications need to be updated every two years. Under this agreement with Dille Traxel, the company along with Felicity Ray with Ozark Foothills Regional Planning Commission would be responsible for making sure the applications continue to be in the stack getting reviewed by FEMA.

When Ray visited with the board in July she said the Fisk location would need to be able to serve about 875 people, which would require 4,375 square feet at an estimated cost of $984,375. Meanwhile, she said, Broseley would need to serve about 800 people, which would mean 4,000 square feet with an estimated cost of $900,000. She said Qulin would need to be the largest, serving about 900 people at 4,500 square feet and costing about $1.12 million.

Superintendent Jeremy Siebert said Ray is reasonably confident the district would be able to get a 90-10% split with FEMA if approved for any of the three grants.

“Until we are approved for a grant and we sign the final thing to say we’re going ahead with it, we don’t pay Dille Traxel a dime,” Goodrich said. “We’re not going to be out of pocket for anything.”

Distract Assessment Plan

The board approved an updated assessment plan, which includes Evaluate testing as well as Benchmark Assessment System (BAS) Testing.

The Evaluate testing is a benchmark assessment test, which was used last year, for English Language Arts and math. The test is given every month to see what benchmarks are being met by the students and which need additional focus. Counselor Christina Miller said the scores start out at the lower end because students are being testing on what they’re expected to know by the end of the year. The goal is to be able to track student growth throughout the year.

The BAS testing is for first through third graders and is focused on reading. Report cards to parents include what students have covered already, what’s being worked on and tips to help at home.

“When they read, what kind of questions we can ask them for deeper thought about the theme and things like that,” Miller said.

Computer Science Courses

In a state push for more computer science courses, districts are now able to allow a computer science course to count as a student’s third math or science course. This inclusion is up to board approval, which was given Tuesday night.

Students currently have the option to take a computer science course online with an on campus teacher advising. They also have the option to take computer science courses through the Poplar Bluff Technical Career Center. Allowing students to count these courses toward a science or math credit will not cost the district anything as these courses are already available.

Miller said the inclusion will mostly help students looking to enter careers straight from high school rather than pursuing post secondary education.

“We wouldn’t have to hire a teacher,” Miller said. “It’s things they’re already taking. It would just count instead of as a practical art or elective, it would allow one credit to count as either science or math.”