Clark-Shawnee construction, renovation project makes progress

Clark Shawnee new school construction. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

Clark Shawnee new school construction. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

Construction and renovations on schools in the Clark-Shawnee Local School District has made strides in the last month, according to the superintendent.

In a video about the schools construction progress on Clark-Shawnee’s Facebook page, Superintendent Brian Kuhn said construction on the district’s new preK through sixth grade school has been about three things — underground plumbing, footers and foundation work — over the last month.

“Crews are still outside right now working on all three of those things,” Kuhn said.

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Once foundations are completed, masonry walls will start going up, Kuhn said. As for renovations on the high school, he said, the first renovated phase of the school, in the east wing, was completed in early October.

“Students have returned and moved back in,” Kuhn said. “It’s really exciting to see all of the science spaces and classes that have been released.”

Renovation is now taking place on the second floor on the north wing of the building and the office, Kuhn said.

“Once this next phase is complete, we are going to have an open house and we are going to invite community members in to come and see the renovated spaces,” Kuhn said.

Clark-Shawnee held a groundbreaking ceremony about a year ago to kick off construction of their preK through sixth grade school building.

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

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

The school will be across the street from Shawnee High School, which is currently undergoing a major renovation.

In late August at a ‘state of the schools’ meeting, Kuhn said the district experienced some budget and weather issues early on in the construction process, pushing back completion dates, but the district has since resolved them.

With those factors in mind, Kuhn said the district expects to have the middle/high school renovations completed by the start of the 2020-21 school year with the elementary school completed by March 2021.

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