Presenter outlines bond-funded school projects: safety lane, recovery high school and accessible playgrounds

A presenter at a Cape Girardeau 63 meeting said the bond passed in April will fund a package of school facility projects, including a new pickup-and-drop-off lane at the middle school, upgrades to athletic surfaces and new inclusive playground surfacing.

"Right now, it's really exciting with the passage of our bond this past April," the Presenter said, outlining projects that district residents should see over the summer or as students return to school. The Presenter said one immediate safety project is a new pickup-and-drop-off lane in front of the middle school to ease morning arrival and afternoon dismissal congestion.

The Presenter said a separate, grant-funded recovery high school already has its foundation poured and walls going up and is expected to be completed by January 2027; in the transcript the grant was identified as "through Desi." The Presenter listed summer work at the high school — tennis court updates and track resurfacing — and said the district is installing new alarm systems across all buildings to improve safety.

The Presenter said the board approved a procurement process to select a construction-manager-at-risk firm and that Brock Miller Construction won the contract; that firm will help stage and manage classroom-level renovations. Because many renovations affect occupied classrooms, the Presenter said most construction work will be staged during next summer after the district uses the current school year to finalize project scopes, bid work and prepare materials.

At the junior high, the Presenter said the auditorium is being refurbished with upgraded seating, bleachers will be replaced and a long-needed gymnasium system will be addressed. On the elementary level, the district will install pour-in-place surfacing — similar to surfaces at local county parks such as Millennium Magical Playground and Levis's Trail — so students with ambulatory needs who could not use mulch-based areas will be included.

The Presenter closed by noting additional equipment upgrades are planned and that many of the visible improvements will appear over the summer or as students return. The Presenter did not provide dollar amounts, specific bid dates or a detailed construction schedule beyond the general timeline that most classroom renovations will occur next summer.