Southwest Schools selects CTS to manage $2.2 million bond upgrades
Aging buildings that need renovations are targeted with the Southwest School District's upcoming bond project.
May 1, 2019
Vinnie Roberts
During last month’s election on April 2, 76.34 percent of the voters of the Southwest school district elected to pass a $2.2 million bond measure extending the existing tax levy in order to fund repairs to Southwest Schools. This initiative, formally known as K.I.D.S., dedicates the bond funding to make improvements to the school. In order to see these improvements through, Southwest’s school board has voted to once again work with CTS.
CTS is a company based out of Kansas City that acts as a middle man between bond beneficiaries and contractors. The company will assign a project manager to make offers to contractors and accept bids on behalf of the school, all the while working to keep their various projects under budget and on time.
According to Tosha Tilford, Superintendent of Southwest Schools, the school board has worked with CTS previously on a remodel of several bathrooms in their elementary facility, as well as the construction of a new set of bathrooms.
“They are very efficient, they do what they say they are going to do,” said Tilford. “They work in a timely manner and communicate well with the administration and the board. They’re trustworthy and honest. I don’t have any complaints with them.”
Tilford went on to state that many of the planned renovations will be of a general nature, being applied to all the buildings in the district.
“In every building, there’s going to be new lighting, new ceilings, new floors, repainting, remodeling restrooms that haven’t been previously remodeled,” said Tilford. “There are also some classrooms that will be remodeled.”
Tilford added that most of the bathrooms on the campus will be remodeled, with the exception of the bathrooms in the elementary that were renovated in the summer of 2017.
Additionally, the middle school will be receiving a new drainage system in the front to cut down on damage done or inaccessibility due to floods.
CTS is also going to be focusing on improvements to the cafeteria. According to Tilford, wear and tear and neglect have caused issues in both spaces that have lead to negative health department reviews of the facility in the past.
The superintendent stated that one of the main goals of the project is increasing her students’ positive outlook on the school.
“We’re going to basically be remodeling all of our buildings,” said Tilford. “My goal is for the kids to walk in and feel like they’ve got a new school.
“We’re getting to the point that we’re completely outdated on some things. We’re not up to date with our electrical system and our technology. For a zero tax increase, I think our kids deserve something that looks new.”
Safety is another primary concern for the administration. CTS will be renovating several fixtures in the school that have become unsafe with the passage of time.
This summer, several structures around the school will have asbestos removed and replaced with a different kind of insulation. Additionally, several other structures that lack insulation will have it installed in order to increase energy efficiency for the school.
Changes will also be made to the layout of both the middle and elementary schools in order to better route incoming traffic to their respective offices.
“We’re going to have a new corridor and a new secure entrance in to the middle school and the elementary school,” said Tilford. “The middle school office is going to be completely renovated to make it more safe. The elementary office is going to be moved down the hall in to a couple of vacant classrooms. Where they’re sitting now, they can’t see people coming up on them. We want them to be able to see people coming into the building.”
According to Tilford, both buildings currently feature a buzzer at the front door that forces anyone seeking entry to contact the office before being let in. However, the disadvantageous positioning of these offices means that when someone is buzzed in, the office has no way of monitoring that person’s entry and they have potential to enter other parts of the school unattended without first checking in.
All buildings in the district will also be receiving new exterior doors and windows. The new windows will be full-pane security windows that will not open and close, in order to increase energy efficiency as well as safety.
Tilford is optimistic about the changes, believing that the renovations will not only improve the schools looks, but also cut down on recurring complaints from faculty and students.
“It’s not just the aesthetic,” said Tilford. “Yes, we’re going to get that, but in getting that, it will take care of a lot of the problems we’ve got.”
The last day of school for Southwest will be May 10. Construction on the facility is expected to begin almost immediately after on May 13 and has a projected end date of July 26.
For more information on renovations and changes to the district, contact the Southwest School District at (417) 826-5410.
Vinnie Roberts
During last month’s election on April 2, 76.34 percent of the voters of the Southwest school district elected to pass a $2.2 million bond measure extending the existing tax levy in order to fund repairs to Southwest Schools. This initiative, formally known as K.I.D.S., dedicates the bond funding to make improvements to the school. In order to see these improvements through, Southwest’s school board has voted to once again work with CTS.
CTS is a company based out of Kansas City that acts as a middle man between bond beneficiaries and contractors. The company will assign a project manager to make offers to contractors and accept bids on behalf of the school, all the while working to keep their various projects under budget and on time.
According to Tosha Tilford, Superintendent of Southwest Schools, the school board has worked with CTS previously on a remodel of several bathrooms in their elementary facility, as well as the construction of a new set of bathrooms.
“They are very efficient, they do what they say they are going to do,” said Tilford. “They work in a timely manner and communicate well with the administration and the board. They’re trustworthy and honest. I don’t have any complaints with them.”
Tilford went on to state that many of the planned renovations will be of a general nature, being applied to all the buildings in the district.
“In every building, there’s going to be new lighting, new ceilings, new floors, repainting, remodeling restrooms that haven’t been previously remodeled,” said Tilford. “There are also some classrooms that will be remodeled.”
Tilford added that most of the bathrooms on the campus will be remodeled, with the exception of the bathrooms in the elementary that were renovated in the summer of 2017.
Additionally, the middle school will be receiving a new drainage system in the front to cut down on damage done or inaccessibility due to floods.
CTS is also going to be focusing on improvements to the cafeteria. According to Tilford, wear and tear and neglect have caused issues in both spaces that have lead to negative health department reviews of the facility in the past.
The superintendent stated that one of the main goals of the project is increasing her students’ positive outlook on the school.
“We’re going to basically be remodeling all of our buildings,” said Tilford. “My goal is for the kids to walk in and feel like they’ve got a new school.
“We’re getting to the point that we’re completely outdated on some things. We’re not up to date with our electrical system and our technology. For a zero tax increase, I think our kids deserve something that looks new.”
Safety is another primary concern for the administration. CTS will be renovating several fixtures in the school that have become unsafe with the passage of time.
This summer, several structures around the school will have asbestos removed and replaced with a different kind of insulation. Additionally, several other structures that lack insulation will have it installed in order to increase energy efficiency for the school.
Changes will also be made to the layout of both the middle and elementary schools in order to better route incoming traffic to their respective offices.
“We’re going to have a new corridor and a new secure entrance in to the middle school and the elementary school,” said Tilford. “The middle school office is going to be completely renovated to make it more safe. The elementary office is going to be moved down the hall in to a couple of vacant classrooms. Where they’re sitting now, they can’t see people coming up on them. We want them to be able to see people coming into the building.”
According to Tilford, both buildings currently feature a buzzer at the front door that forces anyone seeking entry to contact the office before being let in. However, the disadvantageous positioning of these offices means that when someone is buzzed in, the office has no way of monitoring that person’s entry and they have potential to enter other parts of the school unattended without first checking in.
All buildings in the district will also be receiving new exterior doors and windows. The new windows will be full-pane security windows that will not open and close, in order to increase energy efficiency as well as safety.
Tilford is optimistic about the changes, believing that the renovations will not only improve the schools looks, but also cut down on recurring complaints from faculty and students.
“It’s not just the aesthetic,” said Tilford. “Yes, we’re going to get that, but in getting that, it will take care of a lot of the problems we’ve got.”
The last day of school for Southwest will be May 10. Construction on the facility is expected to begin almost immediately after on May 13 and has a projected end date of July 26.
For more information on renovations and changes to the district, contact the Southwest School District at (417) 826-5410.