The McDonald County Board of Education approved bids at its Jan. 8 meeting for the construction of a FEMA tornado safe structure that will be used as a performing arts center at McDonald County High School.
The total cost of the project is estimated to be about $5 million. A FEMA grant will cover 75 percent of the costs that are associated with building the tornado safe structure. Any costs not associated with making the structure tornado safe are 100 percent the responsibility of the district.
Construction is expected to begin by April, possibly late March. The building is expected to take 10 months to complete. The approximate 12,600 square foot facility will have seating for over 600 people.
The performing arts center, which will be built next to the auxiliary gym where the student parking lot is currently located, is the third of three FEMA structures being built in the school district. Construction projects are ongoing at Pineville and Southwest City schools.
Total costs of the three facilities is estimated to be about $12.8 million. FEMA grants total a little over $4.2 million. The balance of the funding comes from a $5.5 million bond issue approved by voters in April 2012 and from cash reserves.
The vote to approve the bids for the performing arts center comes a month after scheduled. The project was rebid due to one contractor being late and another not including allowances. The vote was 6-0-1 in favor of all the bids with Sammy Helm abstaining from the vote.
Soccer
McDonald County High School will field boys and girls soccer teams for the 2015-2016 season. The board approved a proposal from John Whitehead, athletic director, to start the programs. Though the program will begin next school year, McDonald County will not enter the state playoffs until the 2016-2017 school year.
Whitehead said that soccer is in the middle of its two-year playoff cycle and MSHSAA said it is probable that McDonald County would be placed in a district in the St. Louis area for the 2015-2016 playoffs in the first year of the program at MCHS. He said that the following year McDonald County would be placed in a district that is much more closer.
Whitehead provided start-up costs of about $15,000 for supplies, equipment and uniforms. That cost did not include a coach's stipend or cost to get a facility ready. Dr. Mark Stanton, who coached soccer at Webb City, said he believes the best place for a field is at Pineville Primary School.
Whitehead conducted a survey of boys and girls in grades 8-11 and found that there were 79 boys interested in playing soccer next year and 50 girls.
Other Business
In other business, the board:
• approved adding an Early Childhood Special Education class at Noel Primary School;
• heard an update on services provided by the Crowder College Behaviour Support Center; and
• approved bills in the amount of $1,983,531.57,
General News on 01/15/2015