The newly completed addition to Festus Middle School wowed the approximately 75 people who attended an open house held Aug. 5 to show it off.
District officials awarded a $7,574,900 construction contract for the addition, which includes 10 new classrooms, restrooms and a band room. The project also included renovations to the existing Middle School cafeteria, its multipurpose room and some classrooms.
Festus R-6 Superintendent Nicki Ruess was one of those impressed with the completed project.
“Love it. Love it,” she said.
The project added 20,471 square feet to the 69,807-square-foot Middle School, 1717 W. Main St., bringing the building to 89,848 total square feet.
Brockmiller Construction of Farmington was hired to build the addition in February 2024 and complete the other improvements, and construction began in April of that year. The project was completed on schedule and on budget and is ready for students to use when they return to classes on Aug. 18, Ruess said.
“We haven’t finalized (all of the payments), but everything is on track,” she said.
Devon Lorenz, one of the district’s band teachers, said he looks forward to working in the new band classroom.
“I think it’s fantastic,” he said.
Lorenz said it’s great to have a space dedicated specifically to the band program.
District parent Eric Fjone said he, too, was impressed after taking a tour of the addition.
“It is wonderful,” he said. “They did a great job of expanding the school for current and future needs.”
Another district parent, Joe Snyder, said he also liked the addition.
“I think it’s spacious and a great addition to the school,” he said.
Tammy Menke said she works at the Middle School and came to the open house to get a peek at the improvements.
“I’m a lunch lady here,” she said. “It’s nice. It’s going to give us a lot more room.”
District officials said the Middle School addition, as well as a project currently underway to build a nearly $5 million addition at the Festus Intermediate School, are necessary to keep up with the district’s growing enrollment. The Intermediate School’s addition is targeted to open in fall 2026.
With the opening of the Middle School, district officials plan to move sixth grade students from the Intermediate School to the Middle School this month. When the Intermediate School addition is ready, the district’s third grade will shift from Festus Elementary School to the Intermediate School.
“I’m just super excited to have the sixth grade come here,” Middle School Principal Jacob Munoz said. “I think what’s great about the addition is it creates new opportunities with the fine arts, which we’ve moved here from the (existing) building; we’ve added some classes.”
The additions at the Middle School and Intermediate School are just some of the district projects funded with revenue from a 59-cent tax increase voters approved in April 2019.