DELTA SCHOOLS WON'T BEGIN UNTIL SEPT. 13; OFFICIALS BLAME FLOOD, CONSTRUCTION DELAYS

DELTA -- The start of school in Delta has been postponed another week, to Sept. 13, due to construction delays at the elementary building.

Originally, Delta students were scheduled to begin classes on Aug. 19, one of the first start times of area schools.

But a combination of flooded homes in the district and construction delays prompted the district to postpone its first day to Sept. 7.

Now the postponement has been moved back nearly another week, Superintendent Larry Beshears said.

Children who live in Allenville, which became an island during the flood, attend Delta schools, as do many children who live at Dutchtown.

The floodwater has receded sufficiently to allow school buses to pick up students at those locations, but Beshears said work on the elementary building has not progressed at the same rate the river has receded.

"We are going to have to delay school another week," said Beshears. "But we will go a full day on the 13th."

Contractors are working to remove insulation and windows, then will replace the insulation and windows and will paint.

When that is completed, school personnel will have to clean up the classrooms and make the school ready for children.

"Right now we are in a real mess," Beshears said. "You should see the mess we are in. There is no way all the work and cleanup can be done by Sept. 7."

Despite the late start, Beshears said he is hopeful the school year will end near Memorial Day. "That's if we don't have a bunch of days out for bad weather this winter."

"Usually by the time of the SEMO Fair, we've had three weeks in. This year we will just be starting," said the superintendent. "I'm sure we have a lot of students and parents ready to get the kids in school."

In April, voters approved $1.05 million in school bonds to pay for the new heating and cooling units and roof at the elementary school.

Also part of the package is a 19,900-square-foot addition to the Lowell Jones Building behind the old high school. The district will open bids for the high school project on Sept. 28, Beshears said.