Neosho R-5 School District officials are considering adding some classroom space to Goodman Elementary School, thanks to available federal stimulus money for special education projects.
“We received $1,085,346 (in federal stimulus funding),” said Dr. Richard Page, superintendent of Neosho R-5 Schools.
“We already have the money, we just have to apply to use the money, but we have two years to do it in.”
The plan is to use the funding to construct four classrooms at Goodman Elementary School. Page noted that two classrooms could be used for regular education, and two would most likely be designated for special education.
“We are going to look at extending the building on the (east side), that is where the trailers are right now,” Page said.
“There are four classrooms located outside the building in those trailers, and we are going to get rid of them, I hope. Our enrollment is over the capacity of the building, and that is the reason we have those trailers and we need to do something to accommodate the students, because they are not going to go away…”
Page outlined the project’s timeline.
“We (will) apply for (the funding) as soon as we can, starting (Wednesday),” he said.
“We will start trying to plan on moving in this direction. The timeline I would like to see us do this is to get approval by the state in August or September, have the blueprint drawings ready to go for bid in November, open bids in December, start construction in January and then eight months later be ready to move into the addition by the fall of 2010. We really need to start construction sometime around January if we are going to get it completed by August.”
Page added, “We are looking at probably a 900 square-foot classrooms, which is our regular size classroom. We are looking at a 4,000 square-foot (addition).”
Neosho, Mo. —
