Some Cape school district bond projects are finished; others are on the way

Several renovation projects funded by a $20 million bond issue at the Cape Girardeau School District were finished this summer, and more are underway throughout the district.

"It's been a busy summer," said Neil Glass, assistant superintendent of administrative services. "We've had a lot of projects going on, and a lot of it's in preparation for the bigger projects that are going to take place next year."

The bond issue, approved by voters in April, includes larger projects at Central Junior High School and the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center, as well as smaller projects throughout the district. A design team meets weekly to go over projects under construction and in the planning stages, Glass said.

"The junior high is on schedule to bid out at the end of October, first of November," he said. "That was a very detailed renovation project -- from the new construction that's going to take place all the way to the renovations of the academic wing."

The school's old gymnasium will be razed and replaced with offices for guidance counselors, social workers and administrators. A new practice gym also will be built, and science labs, doubling as a storm shelter, will be built in the basement.

A Nip Kelley Equipment crew puts down gravel Tuesday for a new driveway at Clippard Elementary School in Cape Girardeau. (Fred Lynch)

"We will take the old gymnasium offline after the first of the year. That will come out, and we'll lay the ground for the new construction to go up," Glass said, adding that project will take place during the school year. "We have 10 weeks during the summer that we've got to get the whole academic wing finished. We have got to really stay on top of things to get that done. When the kids come back, they'll have all new renovated classrooms."

Glass said district officials are discussing the details of where to move the junior high's summer school, sports camps and other programs, because the building will be closed for construction next summer.

Site work is being done for the Career and Technology Center expansion that will allow health-care services and more to be provided at the center. Glass said the project should break ground after the first of the year.

At Clippard Elementary, a new driveway is being built to relieve traffic congestion. Workers this week are moving dirt and putting down gravel for the base, Glass said.

At Blanchard Elementary, a ramp that meets Americans with Disabilities Act requirements is being installed. In the next couple weeks, workers will begin building a new parking lot at Franklin Elementary.

Bids for a roofing project at Central Middle School are due Friday, Glass said.

In the past few months, the high-school track was replaced, new bleachers were installed at the junior high school, and the old rubber was removed from the junior high's track.

"It's ready for the base and structural spray," Glass said, adding workers should be on site in the next couple weeks.

All the high school's tennis courts were redone, as well, and softball lights were installed. Baseball lights will go up this week, Glass said.

Workers also have been resurfacing the high school's parking lots.

"Whatever we don't get done with the warm weather, we'll hit it again next summer," Glass said.

The projects are the second phase of a facility plan developed in 2008 and 2009. The first phase, which included projects such as replacing Franklin Elementary School, was addressed with a $40 million bond issue in 2010.

In the 2010 bond issue, the district converted 80 percent of its buildings to Johnson automated HVAC controls, officials said. The second phase addresses the remaining three buildings. Controls have been installed at Blanchard Elementary and the Career and Technology Center, and the last building to be completed is Central Junior High School.

The controls are a web-based system that helps the district track its heating and ventilation systems to ensure they're functioning properly, Glass said. The systems also help with preventative maintenance and energy efficiency.

Glass said all the projects should be finished by summer 2017.

klamb@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3639

Pertinent address:

301 N. Clark St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.