Official says junior high needs major renovation

Cape Girardeau Central Junior High School needs some major renovations even though it is structurally sound, school officials say.

Patrick Morgan, executive director of administrative services, said the district needs to address the overall appearance of the junior high school. That includes walls, floors, ceilings and lockers. Restrooms, wiring and technology needs, heating and cooling, and storage are also items that the district needs to consider, he said.

In a report to the school board and superintendent Dr. David Scala, Morgan identified the junior high school as one of 10 projects and issues that need "priority attention."

The list also includes seasonal staffing needs. The district has been unable to fill minimum-wage summer mowing jobs, said Morgan, who oversees the district's buildings and grounds. The district may have to raise the pay to fill the positions, he said.

The school board will review various facility needs at a work session tonight as part of an effort to craft a plan that will map out building and grounds projects for the next five years. The session will start at 6 p.m. at the district's central office.

The board won't make any final decisions at the meeting, said school board president Steven Trautwein. School board members, he said, ultimately will have to prioritize suggested projects and then decide how to pay for them.

Developing a five-year facilities plan has been a major goal of the school board.

Trautwein said he expects the board will have a plan in place by June that could include everything from building renovation projects to new construction.

The district needs a plan before it can move ahead with any construction projects, he said. "You can't figure out how to pay for it if you don't have it in the plan first," Trautwein said.

The school district operates 10 school buildings as well as the central administrative offices building.

Cape Girardeau's junior high school was built in 1952 to serve as the district's high school. With the opening of the new high school in 2002, the old high school on Caruthers Avenue became the district's junior high school.

"With any facility, when it gets that many years on it, I think the owner has to step back and look at it," Morgan said.

When Morgan visits the junior high campus, he sees computer wires hanging from the ceiling and some lower-level hallways and classrooms that aren't air-conditioned.

Rusted buildings

The junior high campus also has three rusted metal-frame buildings, including one that is used for industrial technology classes.

Another is being proposed as the new headquarters for the Boys and Girls Club of Cape Girardeau.

The buildings appear to be structurally sound. But Morgan said they need an exterior face-lift.

"We don't need to waste money," he said, but taxpayers rightly expect the schools to look nice.

School officials also are looking at new uses for the district's administration building, formerly a vocational school. Morgan said the Clark Street building has sufficient space to house an alternative school or a preschool.

The Alternative Education Center currently is housed in the underused Schultz School. The district hopes to finalize the sale of the school next year. The district then would need a new home for the alternative school. Morgan said the school board will need to make a decision on any relocation within the next 15 months.

New construction also is on the drawing board. The five-year-old high school is already short of classroom space, Morgan said.

The school could use an additional three to four classrooms, he said. Other possible construction projects at the high school include a football stadium and a performance hall, which could cost millions of dollars.

No cost estimates are included for those two projects in the latest list submitted to the school board.

But last summer, school officials estimated it could cost $5 million for a performance hall and $1.25 million for a football stadium.

mbliss@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123

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Cape Girardeau School District building and grounds needs

• Central Junior High School -- Renovations needed at the school itself and to the exterior of three metal buildings on the campus.
• Roofing -- Roofs at various schools need attention
• Parking lots, driveways, walkways -- Resurfacing required
• Heating and cooling -- Some heating improvements needed at Central Middle School; possibly also air conditioning the Middle School gym.
• Carpet and floor covering -- District needs to budget yearly for such expenses.
• Playgrounds -- Resurfacing and other maintenance costs should be budgeted yearly.
• Elementary schools -- Renovation and repair work needed. At Franklin School, for example, major renovations needed for everything from heating and cooling to windows, lighting and doors.
• Central High School -- Possible improvements include new classrooms, a football stadium and a performance hall.
• District administration building -- Space available to house either the alternative school or a preschool.
• Staffing -- District may have to raise pay to fill summer mowing jobs.

Source: Cape Girardeau School District