After months of construction and years of planning, the Northwest R-1 School District is nearly finished with a long list of upgrades to schools and facilities around the district. The last two major projects to be completed include the House Springs Elementary School gym and storm shelter and the Valley Middle School Fine Arts addition.
Those projects are among a long list of capital improvements the district has funded with revenue from a $28 million bond issue voters approved in April 2023.
Northwest chief operating officer Mark Janiesch said the district still needs to add air conditioning to the old gym at Northwest High School. Then, the district may use some leftover bond issue funds to upgrade air conditioning at Valley Middle School, which will wrap up all the bond issue projects.
District officials plan to soon solicit bids for the air conditioning work and bring those bids to the Board of Education in November.
House Springs Elementary gym
Janiesch said a lot of progress has been made on the House Springs Elementary gym, adding that the difference between the new gym and old gym is like night and day.
He said the district plans to spend about $5.6 million to build the new House Springs Elementary gym and already has spent about $5.4 million on the project. He expects the project to be complete on or under budget.
“I would say that the gym is 97 percent complete. We are so close,” he said.
Janiesch said district officials expect to obtain occupancy permits for the gym within a week or two and will have a few items to complete while the building is in use.
Some of those last projects to finish include the installation of automatic door opener components, cameras and audiovisual equipment.
“S.M. Wilson & Co. bids out most of our projects and also runs them until they are completed,” Janiesch said. “They have been in charge of this project from the start. We work directly with vendors for audiovisual (AV) equipment, which is through KC Audio Visual, and cameras, which are through Tech Electronics, to get those items bid and installed.”
The new gym will provide space for middle school practices if needed and will be ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible. More parking will be added around the gym, too.
The House Springs Elementary gym project has progressed with few problems, Janiesch said.
“The HSE gym was by far the most streamlined project that has been completed with the least amount of hiccups. Earlier in the project, when the temporary road was put in, we just had to keep adding gravel because of the wet conditions; other than that, everything has been very smooth.”
Valley Middle School Fine Arts addition
Janiesch said the Valley Middle School Fine Arts addition is expected to be finished by the end of the year. The 5,068-square-foot addition will cost an estimated $6.1 million and will house fine arts instructional spaces, a storm shelter, a vestibule connecting the main building to the addition and more.
“We have spent approximately $5.4 million so far on the Valley middle projects, which include restroom upgrades throughout the buildings, fences and gates, the fine arts addition and canopies,” he said.
S.M. Wilson & Co. has also been handling the middle school addition, although the district works directly with KC Audio Visual for AV equipment and Tech Electronics for cameras, Janiesch said.
“We are still working on installing ceiling grids, doors, flooring, electrical rough-in, duct work, drywall, plumbing finish work, automatic door opener components, cameras and audio-visual equipment,” he said. “We should be able to obtain occupancy in November or December, depending on when the audiovisual items come in.”
Janiesch said the middle school addition construction also has gone well, although some of the district’s private utilities were compromised during excavation early in the project.
He said that he looks forward to the completion of the new space, adding that the best part of the addition is the connection to the main building, making it convenient and safe for students.
Playgrounds
The district also used bond issue revenue to replace playgrounds at all the district’s six elementary schools and at the Early Childhood Center. Construction on the last two playgrounds to be finished, at High Ridge Elementary and Murphy Elementary, started in July and opened for use over the past week or two.
“All of our playgrounds were starting to show some wear due to their age. They were in various conditions throughout the district, but all needed to be replaced before any safety issues arose,” Janiesch said.
The playground and surfacing at Murphy Elementary cost $214,541.95, and the cost for the playground and surfacing at High Ridge Elementary was $221,321.46, he said.
The district hired BCI Burke to build all of its new playgrounds, and the equipment was purchased from The Playground Consultants through a vetted co-op. The Playground Consultants is the exclusive eastern and southern Missouri representative for BCI Burke.
“The new playgrounds are equipped with the latest safety amenities, and all of the new playgrounds are inclusive playgrounds, which means that they are equipped with features that allow students with disabilities to enjoy the play structure as well,” Janiesch said. “The fall surface of all of the playgrounds is made with bonded rubber mulch for the children’s protection, which is an upgrade from the thick rubber tiles that were in use on the previous playgrounds.”
Janiesch said Northwest officials are happy to provide new playgrounds and fall surfaces for all the district’s students.
“It was a pleasure to allow students from each elementary school to have a say in what would be incorporated into the playground (within reason). Being able to have the inclusive features for students with disabilities (so they may) participate with everyone else on the playground is an immense upgrade over what we had in place before,” he said.
High Ridge Elementary Principal Dan Munson said he, too, is pleased with the upgraded new playground, adding that students “couldn’t wait” for the finished results.
“The playground will be utilized beyond standard recess. We’ll use it for P.E. classes, developing cooperative play and motor skills, and “Brain Breaks” – short, teacher-scheduled breaks for refocusing,” he said.
Munson says the playground feature that stands out the most is the accessibility.
“The ground-level sensory panels and wider ramps ensure all students, regardless of mobility, can play fully and safely,” Munson said. “This new space brings a powerful message to our school: We are committed to the whole child. It fosters better social skills (sharing, turn-taking), promotes physical health and gives the students a tremendous sense of pride in their school.”
Munson also recognized the support of the Northwest community by passing the bond issue, allowing the district to take on such projects.
“I believe our students deserve the very best in all aspects of the school experience,” he said. “The new playground is a continuation of that commitment.”