Construction on schedule at new Nixa elementary

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Nixa's new Century Elementary School will be ready for fall classes kindergarten through fourth grade in time for the first day of school, Sept. 4, 2001.|ret||ret||tab|

According to Stephen Kleinsmith, superintendent of Nixa schools, construction of the 53,200-square-foot structure at 732 E. McCauley Road is about 70 percent complete.|ret||ret||tab|

The school's final cost will run about $3.7 million with at least another half million for furnishings, phone systems and equipment, according to Al Michel, director of elementary education at Nixa.|ret||ret||tab|

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On schedule|ret||ret||tab|

DeWitt and Associates is the contractor for the project, and Blake Christian is the project manager. Christian said the project began July 14 and has stayed on schedule, considering the weather factor. The building style brick and masonry is fairly typical to this area, Christian said. Several subcontractors who also worked on the new Nixa high school are involved in the project, he added. "They've been able to maintain the same high level of quality as the high school."|ret||ret||tab|

Eric McCune, architect with Sapp Design Associates, is project manager for his firm and Brian Kubik, also with Sapp, is project architect.|ret||ret||tab|

McCune said his company has done quite a few schools, kept up with trends in new designs, and, with his experience, he has been able to establish what the new school's needs are now and will be well into the future.|ret||ret||tab|

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Space and light|ret||ret||tab|

He added that the modern building maximizes space and light. It has a central rotunda that brings together the library, multipurpose area and classrooms to serve the 450-student-capacity facility. The structure can be expanded to accommodate up to 550 students in the future. In creating the design, McCune and Kubik used a combination of brick and masonry to give the structure color and texture. |ret||ret||tab|

According to McCune, Nixa school officials have been under extreme pressure to keep up with the growth of the area at all levels.|ret||ret||tab|

Kleinsmith said, "We've been getting bumper crops of kindergartners." He added that officials are working hard to find enough space for the increasing number of students entering the system.|ret||ret||tab|

Century will be the fourth elementary school along with Espy, Thomas and Mathews to serve the lower levels, Kleinsmith said. Pam Holmes, now principal at Mathews, will move to the new facility this fall.|ret||ret||tab|

The building houses 16 regular classrooms plus five special classrooms. Separate rooms are also included for art, music and the gymnasium, Kleinsmith said.|ret||ret||tab|

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Funding|ret||ret||tab|

As with the high school, which was an $18 million project, the new school will be funded through a bond issue in the R-2 District, according to Michel. "It's always a challenge to have enough bonding capacity to keep up with growth," he said. "It's hard to educate kids without the money flowing in."|ret||ret||tab|

In response to overcrowding at Inman, the only Nixa school serving grades five and six, officials are planning to reopen the Main Street building that was formerly the high school.|ret||ret||tab|

Use of the old high school, built in the 1940s, is considered a bridge to better economic times when more new facilities can be added, Michel said.|ret||ret||tab|

The school district is only allowed 15 percent of property assessments, and officials have not been satisfied with recent assessments, according to Kleinsmith. He noted that new county assessor Sandra Bryant has been working hard to make sure all properties are recorded properly, especially on new construction.|ret||ret||tab|

Along with regular classrooms, Century will provide two early childhood classrooms for pre-kindergarten children who have special needs and one regular pre-school class, which is federally funded.|ret||ret||tab|

The district tries to accommodate young children as much as possible, but it would like to do even more, according to Kleinsmith.[[In-content Ad]]