EDUCATION: JACKSON PONDERS CONSULTANT TO PLAN FOR HIGH SCHOOL

JACKSON, Mo. -- Earlier this month, the Jackson Board of Education won voter approval to fund an expansion project at R.O. Hawkins Junior High. Now the school board has turned to planning for the high school campus.

This week, the district finalized buying property near the high school, the district's second acquisition this year. About $165,000 has been spent so far this year to ensure the high school has breathing room to accommodate growth.

"We know that the only space available at the high school site is on the west side, so any time something becomes available, we need to be aware of it," said district Superintendent Dr. Ron Anderson. "We're not going out at this time soliciting but when they come forward, we certainly look at what's available there and try to deal."

The land acquisition is only a part of planning for the campus.

Next month the school board will consider hiring a consulting firm to evaluate the high school's facilities and program needs.

Educational Consulting Services, a firm from Lincoln, Neb., will likely be hired to work with the district architect, John Dudley, and the Warner, Nease, and Bost architectural firm of Kansas City, Mo.

Together they help the district devise a long-range plan for the high school campus.

Hiring the consulting firm could cost about $50,000, but Anderson said the fee would be deducted from future projects at the high school.

"They're one of the few planners I'm aware of that does this kind of work," said Anderson, who previously worked with the firm during his superintendency of the Liberty School District. "A lot of firms handle building and structural needs but don't pay attention to what a district is doing or will need in the future as far as programs. You need both to get where you need to go."

Jerry McCall, a consultant with Educational Consulting Services, outlined the services his company provides during a June presentation to the board. At that time, McCall called the high school campus "tremendously challenging" because it has 11 buildings, including maintenance and athletic complexes.

In addition to the numerous buildings, which pose difficulties in providing security, school officials said the older portions of the campus have small classrooms, and the gymnasium is small and outdated.

Anderson said it will take 10 months to a year to conduct a thorough analysis of the district's space requirements and structural needs.

While the consulting team considers technical aspects of the campus, the district will call upon district staff and community members for additional planning.

Specifics regarding community participation including how many people will be asked to help and what their exact roles will be have not been developed, Anderson said..