The North Platte Board of Education has approved a bid to begin demolition of the junior high school in Dearborn, Mo. later this month.
Universal Construction Company based out of Lenexa, Kan. will perform the work at a cost of $320,500. New Horizons LLC of Kansas City, Mo. has already begun asbestos removal at the site at a cost of more than $50,000.
The North Platte Board of Education approved both expenditures last month during its regular session on Wednesday, June 21.
The start of demolition remains scheduled for Friday, July 21 but could be subject to change. Some community members have expressed interest in being able to walk through that part of the junior high/high school campus one last time.
The current junior high was the original high school.
Anyone interested in taking a final walkthrough of the school can contact North Platte superintendent Karl Matt at (816) 450-3511 to schedule a time. Currently, the junior high is off limits due to the asbestos removal, a process that should be finished up in the coming weeks.
After the public overwhelmingly passed Proposition 2 bond during the April 4 election, the district will be able to use funds in the amount of $6.2 million for capital projects with the first priority to be to replace the junior high school. Other projects include roof repairs or replacements and completing smaller improvements to the schools in Dearborn and Camden Point.
Construction of the new junior high is scheduled to begin in the late fall and is expected to be completed before the start of the 2018-2019 school year. The other projects are being scheduled to go along with the construction of the new building and a majority of the projects are expected to be completed summer of 2018.
Matt said some parking areas will be closed during the construction, and mobile classrooms are supposed to be brought in to help accommodate students.
In November of 2016, the North Platte board approved Incite Design Studio for architectural designs. The company brought a potential floor plan for a new junior high school in December, and the large project became the focal point of the district’s proposed plans. The district sought a continuation of its current tax rate to help fund the projects.
Other projects listed on an informational brochure include high school roof repair/replacement ($375,000 estimate) and repairs/renovations and upgrades of the high school/junior high campus. In addition, the elementary school would receive foundation work, roof repairs/replacements and other renovations.
Both the high school and elementary school, located in Camden Point, Mo., would have HVAC upgrades.
Total cost of the projects is estimated at $6.65 million with the current tax rate expected to generate about $6.2 million over 12 years to go with close to another half million from a Missouri Department of Energy grant.