New furniture on the way for three Northwest schools | Local News | myleaderpaper.com

Nov 02, 2024

Three Northwest R-1 schools will get new furniture next month – Cedar Springs and High Ridge elementary schools and Woodridge Middle School.

The Northwest Board of Education agreed last month to spend $87,938.74 to buy the furniture, including, desks, chairs, tables and cabinets.

That furniture is expected to be delivered in early November to Cedar Springs Elementary in House Springs, followed by delivery to High Ridge Elementary in mid-November and then to Woodridge Middle in High Ridge in late November, chief operating officer Mark Janiesch said.

He said the new furniture is needed because of the new secure entryways, which are nearing completion at those schools. As part of that project, principal offices and related work stations were moved so the new entryways can be better monitored.

“The furniture is for all of the new spaces, which include the actual entryways, conference rooms, principal, assistant principal/administrative intern offices, spaces for administrative assistants and at High Ridge Elementary, the nurse’s office,” Janiesch said.

In May, the Northwest school board approved a $2.87 million expenditure for the construction of secured entrances at the two elementary schools and the middle school. S.M. Wilson & Co. of St. Louis is the construction manager overseeing those improvements.

The district will pay for that work with revenue from a $28 million bond issue voters approved in April 2023.

When the entryway work is finished at those three schools, it completes secure entrances at all schools in the district, Northwest officials reported.

Cedar Springs Elementary

“The secure entryway (at Cedar Springs Elementary) is being used now; however, some features are still being finalized, such as installation of additional intercoms and cameras,” Janiesch said. “We hope to have them installed and completed in November.”

District officials also used bond issue revenue for other projects at the school, like improvements to the driveway entrance and the widening of a walking path to accommodate vehicle traffic, with both projects completed in July, he said.

High Ridge Elementary

Janiesch said work on the secure entryway at High Ridge Elementary was delayed because of weather, but the project is expected to be complete by mid-November at the latest.

Other bond issue projects at that school include upgrades to the exterior of the building and the relocation of a utility pole.

Woodridge Middle

At Woodridge Middle, the new secure entryway is being used, but some finishing touches still need to be completed and are scheduled to wrap up in November, Janiesch said.

Bond issue revenue was also earmarked for an exterior entry update and new sign at the school.

Other projects

The new secure entryways and other improvements at those three schools were part of Phase 1 of the district’s planned bond issue projects.

Other Phase 1 projects included the installation of new playground equipment at the Early Childhood Center and at the district’s six elementary schools.

The new playground at the Early Childhood Center was completed in August, and a new playground at House Springs Elementary School was completed earlier this month.

Work on the playground for Maple Grove Elementary was expected to be completed last week.

Then, new playgrounds are scheduled to be finished at Brennan Woods and Cedar Springs elementary schools before the winter break, and the playgrounds at High Ridge and Murphy elementary schools are slated to be completed by early spring, district officials reported.

Altogether, the district will pay a total of about $1.5 million for the new playgrounds at the six elementary schools. The playground at the Early Childhood Center in House Springs cost $169,221.66, officials said.

Additions

Bond issue revenue will also be used to build a 15,900-square-foot, two-story addition at Northwest High School in Cedar Hill. That addition will include a field house and storm shelter and will cost about $6.8 million. It is expected to be completed by next July, district officials reported.

In addition, an estimated $5.1 million addition will be built at House Springs Elementary and will house a gymnasium and double as a storm shelter. Construction on that project is expected to start this month and be completed in about a year, officials said.

An addition also is in the works for Valley Middle School in House Springs. It will house fine arts classrooms and a storm shelter and will cost an estimated $4.9 million. Construction is slated to start in February and be completed by August 2026, district officials reported.

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