Jackson School Board chooses name for new elementary school

A name for a new elementary school, a yearlong sports agreement with two private schools and an amendment to the academic calendar were the main items approved in Monday's Jackson School Board meeting.

The new 105,000-square-foot elementary school, now under construction on 15 acres at 455 N. Lacey St. in Jackson, will be called East Elementary School. Superintendent Ron Anderson said that for the last several years, the district has named schools according to their locations.

The project architect is Warner Nease Bost Architects Inc. of Kansas City, Mo., and the contractor is Brockmiller Construction of Farmington, Mo.

Construction is being financed with a bond of about $16 million that was approved by voters April 3, 2012. Weather has slowed construction, but Anderson said he thought crews would return to work this week.

Other business

On a separate matter, the board voted 6-1, with member Paul Stoner dissenting, to ink a yearlong agreement letting seventh- and eighth-grade students at St. Paul Lutheran School and Immaculate Conception School participate in Jackson district sports not offered at their schools.

For St. Paul, that will be football and wrestling; and for Immaculate Conception, it's football, wrestling and track, Anderson said.

The superintendent said the schools approached Jackson around this time last year to ask about the possibility of such an arrangement and that officials wanted to investigate the options.

Stoner said that as a parent and board member, he feels the district should provide the most and best opportunities to children in the district.

"And as a parent, I've got kids that will play sports in school and I can't justify allowing outside kids to take the place of a possible Jackson student on teams like that," Stoner said.

On the calendar, the panel approved a proposal from the district and Community Teachers Association to have students attend class Feb. 21, a scheduled conference day, and April 22, a scheduled day during spring break, as weather makeup sessions. The last day of school as currently scheduled will be May 29, according to information from the district.

Anderson said earlier Monday that Missouri public school districts must log 1,044 hours of instruction time.

rcampbell@semissourian.com

388-3639

Pertinent address:

614 E. Adams St., Jackson, Mo.

455 N. Lacey St., Jackson, Mo.