Monett to unveil new ten-year plan for renovations

August 7, 2019
Vinnie Roberts
Over the last few months, Monett R-I School District has been hard at work assembling a plan to carry the district into the future. Due to high enrollment and limited facilities, the district is currently eyeing the possibility of not only expanding the size of their existing buildings but also reconfiguring the locations of their various grade levels to maximize the use of their space.
“As our district continues to grow, we have concern over the room and space that we currently have. We have a couple of places where it’s pretty tight due to our enrollment,” said Monett Superintendent Russ Moreland. “We’ve had some meetings, and we’ve had some people come in from the community as well as met with our architects. This isn’t something that’s going to happen next year, this is a 10-year plan. Many of the things that are in there will happen in phases as it becomes financially viable to do those things.”
According to Moreland, representatives of the district have been meeting with Sapp and Design, of Springfield, on a new long-term plan to maximize the use of the space within the district. Sapp and Design has worked with the district many times in the past. According to Moreland, the architects have been involved in the building of all of the district’s FEMA shelters, the rebuild of the football field, the resurfacing of the track and repairs to the elementary school among many others.
The most major change proposed in this new master plan is an addition to the Scott Regional Technical Center, the vocational school located on the Monett campus. According to Moreland, this has been suggested as the new location of the 11th and 12th grades in order to not only give students space but also allow them to more easily access the technical center since only those grades qualify for attendance there.
“We have a couple of options with the addition. We could also make it the middle school temporarily,” said Moreland. “We could make it the 11th and 12th grade and put the middle school in with the 9th and 10th grade. That’s part of the phase that we’re in, determining what we can do from here.”
According to Moreland, this addition would be costly, and the district is about to engage in talks to formulate a plan for financing.
“As far as the new high school, according to the budget proposal, that would be anywhere between 50 to 55 million dollars,” explained Moreland. “Even if the voters said yes to that, we don’t have the bonding capacity to do that. It’ll have to happen in phases.”
Moreland went on to explain that this phase could take anywhere from two to 10 years to complete.
Another major concern to be addressed by this new plan is what to do with the Central Park facility that currently houses third and fourth grade classrooms.
“The other thing that was discussed a lot was Central Park, which is our third and fourth grade,” said Moreland. “We’re landlocked there. Traffic and parking is an issue, bussing is tight. The playground situation is also an issue. It’s not very big for that age group.
“Ultimately, what we think will end up happening is we will put them in the building where the middle school is and move the 6th, 7th and 8th grades into a wing of the high school,” said Moreland. “One of our biggest concerns that came through was the condition and enrollment of the middle school. Those kids have to come outside for some classes in the intermediate building across the road.”
The current predominant thought for what to do with this section of the district, according to Moreland, is to turn the facility into an early childhood development center that would house the school’s early childhood center and preschool classrooms. These classrooms are currently located in the elementary building.
“Suddenly, your playground becomes bigger because you’ve got little guys on it, and the same can be said for the class sizes,” Moreland explained. “What that would do is free up valuable classroom space in our elementary school, meaning next to no renovation would have to be done there.”
According to Moreland, this would free up space in the elementary to house the fourth and fifth grade classrooms.
Moreland went on to explain that all of these plans are tied up in the district’s plan to begin construction on the addition to the Technical Center.
“Some of those things are contingent on us getting that first part done. After that, the dominoes will start to fall into place,” Moreland explained. “We’re hoping to have it finished and ready to present in August or September for final approval of the overall plan.”
The Monett Board of Education asked the district’s underwriters to be present at the August meeting of the board to discuss the financial viability of new additions to the school.
“Our underwriters will be here at the next board meeting and will discuss our options in terms of financing and all that,” explained Moreland. “They’re going to help us figure out what we can afford and what we can ask the voters to approve, and hopefully get some feedback from the community, as well.”
According to Moreland, the board of education is seeking to pay for these renovations with as little burden placed upon the community as possible.
“They certainly don’t want to go and ask the public for an excess amount of money,” said Moreland. “We want to make sure that we’re balancing creating safe and adequate spaces for our kids with not adding any more than necessary to create an unnecessary financial burden to the community.”
The superintendent explained that the district will explore all of its options for financing this new facility before approving the final plans.
“We’re currently exploring our bonding capacity and what we can do with a no-increase tax bond, or what we would have to ask for an increase for,” said Moreland. “We’re trying our best to figure out what we could do to get us started without being a financial burden to the community.”
These changes will be discussed during the next meeting of the Monett Board of Education on Thursday, August 15. For more information on the proposed changes to the district, contact the school at (417) 235-7422.
Vinnie Roberts
Over the last few months, Monett R-I School District has been hard at work assembling a plan to carry the district into the future. Due to high enrollment and limited facilities, the district is currently eyeing the possibility of not only expanding the size of their existing buildings but also reconfiguring the locations of their various grade levels to maximize the use of their space.
“As our district continues to grow, we have concern over the room and space that we currently have. We have a couple of places where it’s pretty tight due to our enrollment,” said Monett Superintendent Russ Moreland. “We’ve had some meetings, and we’ve had some people come in from the community as well as met with our architects. This isn’t something that’s going to happen next year, this is a 10-year plan. Many of the things that are in there will happen in phases as it becomes financially viable to do those things.”
According to Moreland, representatives of the district have been meeting with Sapp and Design, of Springfield, on a new long-term plan to maximize the use of the space within the district. Sapp and Design has worked with the district many times in the past. According to Moreland, the architects have been involved in the building of all of the district’s FEMA shelters, the rebuild of the football field, the resurfacing of the track and repairs to the elementary school among many others.
The most major change proposed in this new master plan is an addition to the Scott Regional Technical Center, the vocational school located on the Monett campus. According to Moreland, this has been suggested as the new location of the 11th and 12th grades in order to not only give students space but also allow them to more easily access the technical center since only those grades qualify for attendance there.
“We have a couple of options with the addition. We could also make it the middle school temporarily,” said Moreland. “We could make it the 11th and 12th grade and put the middle school in with the 9th and 10th grade. That’s part of the phase that we’re in, determining what we can do from here.”
According to Moreland, this addition would be costly, and the district is about to engage in talks to formulate a plan for financing.
“As far as the new high school, according to the budget proposal, that would be anywhere between 50 to 55 million dollars,” explained Moreland. “Even if the voters said yes to that, we don’t have the bonding capacity to do that. It’ll have to happen in phases.”
Moreland went on to explain that this phase could take anywhere from two to 10 years to complete.
Another major concern to be addressed by this new plan is what to do with the Central Park facility that currently houses third and fourth grade classrooms.
“The other thing that was discussed a lot was Central Park, which is our third and fourth grade,” said Moreland. “We’re landlocked there. Traffic and parking is an issue, bussing is tight. The playground situation is also an issue. It’s not very big for that age group.
“Ultimately, what we think will end up happening is we will put them in the building where the middle school is and move the 6th, 7th and 8th grades into a wing of the high school,” said Moreland. “One of our biggest concerns that came through was the condition and enrollment of the middle school. Those kids have to come outside for some classes in the intermediate building across the road.”
The current predominant thought for what to do with this section of the district, according to Moreland, is to turn the facility into an early childhood development center that would house the school’s early childhood center and preschool classrooms. These classrooms are currently located in the elementary building.
“Suddenly, your playground becomes bigger because you’ve got little guys on it, and the same can be said for the class sizes,” Moreland explained. “What that would do is free up valuable classroom space in our elementary school, meaning next to no renovation would have to be done there.”
According to Moreland, this would free up space in the elementary to house the fourth and fifth grade classrooms.
Moreland went on to explain that all of these plans are tied up in the district’s plan to begin construction on the addition to the Technical Center.
“Some of those things are contingent on us getting that first part done. After that, the dominoes will start to fall into place,” Moreland explained. “We’re hoping to have it finished and ready to present in August or September for final approval of the overall plan.”
The Monett Board of Education asked the district’s underwriters to be present at the August meeting of the board to discuss the financial viability of new additions to the school.
“Our underwriters will be here at the next board meeting and will discuss our options in terms of financing and all that,” explained Moreland. “They’re going to help us figure out what we can afford and what we can ask the voters to approve, and hopefully get some feedback from the community, as well.”
According to Moreland, the board of education is seeking to pay for these renovations with as little burden placed upon the community as possible.
“They certainly don’t want to go and ask the public for an excess amount of money,” said Moreland. “We want to make sure that we’re balancing creating safe and adequate spaces for our kids with not adding any more than necessary to create an unnecessary financial burden to the community.”
The superintendent explained that the district will explore all of its options for financing this new facility before approving the final plans.
“We’re currently exploring our bonding capacity and what we can do with a no-increase tax bond, or what we would have to ask for an increase for,” said Moreland. “We’re trying our best to figure out what we could do to get us started without being a financial burden to the community.”
These changes will be discussed during the next meeting of the Monett Board of Education on Thursday, August 15. For more information on the proposed changes to the district, contact the school at (417) 235-7422.