Jefferson Elementary may get more space

An ongoing city street improvement project will eventually mean more outdoor space for Jefferson Elementary School.

At its board meeting Monday night, the Cape Girardeau School Board will consider authorizing the city to remove a retention basin at Jefferson.

The work will be done in conjunction with the city's $522,000 reconstruction of Minnesota Avenue, which runs in front of Jefferson. That project includes the addition of curbs, gutters and sidewalks on both sides of Minnesota. The city hopes to have the street construction work in front of the school completed before classes start this fall.

The work also includes turning a swampy area to the southeast of the school into a large retention basin that will provide drainage for homes along Minnesota as well as for Jefferson, making the current basin on the east side of the school obsolete.

"We asked the city to fill it in because it will no longer be usable," said Cape Girardeau superintendent Mark Bowles. "The city agreed. They'll level it out, and it will provide more outside usable area at the school."

The school does not currently have plans for the space once it has been filled in, but Bowles said it could be used to expand the playground.

Fronabarger's Concreters Inc. of Oak Ridge received the bid for the reconstruction. Melanie Gertis, the city's assistant engineer, said Fronabarger's had been given permission to begin work, but she did not know the current status of the project.

cclark@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 128