Nixa district's summer projects aim to ease overcrowding at High Pointe, traffic at JTSD

With buildings largely empty this summer, the Nixa district is pushing to make progress on two bond-funded projects aimed at fixing specific problems.

The new pick-up and drop-off lane at John Thomas School of Discovery will improve safety and reduce the amount of traffic clogging neighborhood streets and part of Missouri Route 14.

A 13-classroom addition at High Point Elementary will alleviate crowding that prompted the use of mobile classroom units.

The project includes a storm shelter that will also serve a nearby school in case of severe weather during the school day.

"We are answering the need for growth and support," said Kevin Kopp, assistant superintendent of elementary education and district operations.

Kopp said JTSD, an older school, is on a landlocked campus in the middle of the city.

He said during the arrival and dismissal periods each day, it is not unusual for neighborhood driveways to get blocked.

"The car line is going to support about 80 cars that now can be taken off the streets that are right by JTSD. They'll be on a car line that is on school property," he said. "That alone is going to hopefully relieve some traffic and congestion."

Kopp said that project will be completed before the first day of the 2024-25 school year. Budgeted for $600,000, the approved bid for the work was lower at $550,000.

At High Pointe, a new classroom wing will be constructed. It will include a storm shelter to serve that elementary as well as the Summit Intermediate building.

"In the event of a storm, it should fit all of our students and faculty at High Pointe and of Summit, which is a (grade) 5-6 building right next to High Pointe," Kopp said. "All of those folks will be able to come over."

High Pointe will be able to get rid of its existing mobile units and spread out into more suitable spaces.

"We currently now have students and teachers in class spaces that weren't meant for a whole class. They were really meant for a smaller class, like special education or an intervention-style class for reading and math," Kopp said.

"That school is like a sponge. We have just soaked up as many kids as we possibly can and for that reason we are really going to need these 13 classrooms."

The addition is expected to be done in February. The budget was $7 million but the project is expected to come in at $6.5 million.

The projects are part of the $47 million bond issue approved by voters in April 2023. It was a "no tax increase" bond issue, which means it did not raise property tax bills but did add to the district's overall debt.

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Superintendent Gearl Loden said there is also a list of maintenance and repair projects that will be completed this summer and in the coming year.

"We're just excited that our community voted highly in favor of this and trust us and (the projects) we have impact our district in a variety of ways that will help us improve instruction and also develop programs," he said.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Nixa district's summer projects aim to ease overcrowding at High Pointe, traffic at JTSD