Clark-Shawnee prepares new elementary school ‘to come off the ground’

Construction and renovation on Clark-Shawnee Local School District’s elementary and middle/high school is, “on schedule,” according to a district official.

In a video posted on Clark-Shawnee’s Facebook page, Superintendent Brian Kuhn gave an update on the construction taking place on the school’s new elementary school.

“Crews are working on the parking lot on the north side of the building, which is for staff, parents and visitor parking,” Kuhn said. “Also we are getting set up to do the grating on the site, so we are ready for this building to come off the ground.”

Kuhn also discussed ongoing renovations taking place on one part of the middle/high school, including installing new HVAC units and a new generator.

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“Inside our building, the first several months were just demolition and taking things down,” Kuhn said. “Now dry wall is going up, heat pumps are going in, paint is going up, technology communications all that is taking place.”

The district is looking forward to having the part of the building currently undergoing renovations, “released,” or completed, by the end of September, beginning of October, Kuhn said.

Clark-Shawnee held a groundbreaking ceremony about a year ago to kick off construction of their $52 million pre-K through sixth grade school building.

Voters approved the $37 million bond issue in August 2017 to build a new elementary school and renovated the middle/high school. The bond issue was for 5.3 mills for 37 years and will cost the owner of a $100,000 house a little more than $15 a month.

The state will cover about 30% of the cost for the project — about $15 million.

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The school will be built across the street from Shawnee High School, which is undergoing a major renovation. School board officials said in late 2017 that they are hoping to finish the pre-K through sixth grade building in the fall of 2020, with renovations to the middle/high school to be finished in the winter of 2021.

At the end of the video, Kuhn invited the public to a, “state of the school,” meeting. The meeting will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 6 p.m. in the Shawnee Middle/High School caferteria.

“We will update you on the facilities project as well as other entities here in the district,” Kuhn said.

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