Neosho School Board weighs options for Goodman school construction

April 07--NEOSHO, Mo. -- Members of the Neosho Board of Education on Thursday got their first look at five options for rebuilding Goodman Elementary School, which was destroyed by an EF2 tornado a year ago.

The options vary in cost and size, according to John McNabb, an architect with Sapp Design Associates Architects. They are:

--Option 1A: 13 classrooms, with a student and staff shelter in the kindergarten wing; a cafeteria/gym (undersized); 41,500 square feet; cost of $10,523,305. Furnishing TVs, iPads, Chromebook towers and interactive flat panels would bring the total cost to $10,762,105.

--Option 1B: 16 classrooms, with a student and staff shelter in the kindergarten wing; a cafeteria/gym (undersized); 45,700 square feet; cost of $11,048,305. With the TVs, iPads, etc., the total cost would be $11,287,105.

--Option 2: 16 classrooms, with a student and staff shelter in the kindergarten wing; a cafeteria/gym (adequate size); 47,700 square feet; cost of $11,533,805. With the extras, the total would be $11,772,605.

--Option 3: 16 classrooms, with a cafeteria/gym doubling as a community storm shelter; 48,400 square feet; cost of $11,955,690. With the extras: $12,194,490.

--Option 4: 16 classrooms, with a cafeteria and a separate gym that would serve as a community storm shelter; 51,200 square feet; cost of $12,656,825. With the extras: $12,895,625.

The board last month reached a $10.7 million settlement with its insurance carrier to rebuild the school. It is still waiting on an estimated $1.3 million to $1.6 million settlement from its insurance company for the building's code upgrades.

Board members have decided to work with a budget of $10.5 million, using the remainder of its $10.7 million settlement for any unforeseen expenses during construction. A separate budget of $1.5 million will cover classroom furniture and materials.

Board member Brett Day said there is a lot to think about before making any decisions about which option to choose. Because the Federal Emergency Management Agency did not grant the district's request for a community storm shelter, the board has to restructure its funding and prioritize projects.

"We're still gathering information on this," he said. "The process has been slow; I wish it would have gone faster, but that's beyond our control. But we're getting close, and we'll find a way because we need to replace what was lost."

Day said the board will probably make a decision at its next meeting, set for 7 p.m. Monday, April 16.

McNabb, the architect, said he expects construction to take about 11 months in order to meet the projected completion date of summer 2019.

Goodman Principal Samantha Hamilton said she and her staff and students have been working closely with the district to give input on what they want the new school to have.

"We're working together to try to figure out the best option and most cost-effective way to get what we had back as well as the best environment for the kids," she said.

School officials hope to build a structure of approximately 45,000 square feet to house prekindergarten through fourth grade.

Temporary location

The Neosho School District has temporarily made room for the 42 staff members and 330 students who attend Goodman Elementary School at Neosho Middle School.

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