MODOT to C. J. Huff and company: Hit the road; We want our building back

The Joplin R-8 School District's virtually rent-free possession of the MODOT building at 32nd and Duquesne will end at the conclusion of the school year.

Superintendent C. J. Huff revealed that information, along with updates on other R-8 facility issues in an e-mail sent to all employees today as he was either in Irving, Texas, preparing for a keynote speech at a conference of the Independent Insurance Agents of Dallas, or while he was on his way to the Lone Star State.

The Highway Department, after some gentle nudging from Gov. Jay Nixon, offered the building to the Joplin R-8 School District after the administration biulding was damaged the May 22, 2011, Joplin Tornado.

Reportedly, the district spent more than a quarter of a million to renovate the building to its liking. The district's agreement with MODOT ended at the end of June, but will be extended through May 31.

Part of the district's initial agreement with MODOT called for the building to be returned to its original state at the end of the deal.

One problem the Huff Administration will have is that the administrative team has nearly tripled in numbers during the past three years, meaning it will take far more space than it had in the original buliding, which is now being used for other purposes.

Huff's message to employees covered a Facilities Committee meeting that took place two weeks ago, making it hard to understand why the information was sent out today, unless Huff was trying to show that even when he is telling the story of how he singlehandedly rescued Joplin from apathy before the tornado and fear during and after it, he never forgets to take care of R-8 business.

The message reads as follows:

Subject: Facilities Committee Reconvenes

Dear Educators,

A month prior to the 5.22.11, Joplin Schools Board of Education had just approved the district’s long-range facilities plan. That document was originally slated to be the guiding document for the district’s facility improvements over the course of the next 10-15 years. Following the disaster, what was originally intended to be our long-range plan quickly became our reconstruction plan that has served us well over the last few years.

Obviously much has changed since the plan was originally approved in the spring of 2011. With our current construction projects quickly coming to a close, last Wednesday evening, the Long Range Facilities Planning Committee reconvened for the first time since the disaster. I was pleased to have 26 representatives present that evening even though it was game 7 of the World Series…and yes there were a number of Royals fans in attendance!

At that meeting the team reviewed a number of key areas, which included…

1. Future location of the Joplin Schools Administration Building: May 31st will likely be the last day in the current location.

2. Buildings and Property: A post-disaster review of vacant facilities and land to determine best use for the schools and community.

3. Existing School Facilities Needs: An analysis of remaining capital outlay needs in existing facilities.

4. Future Construction Needs: A review of aging schools, possible additions, growth projections, and programmatic needs.

5. Five-Year Capitol Outlay: Analysis of short and long-term capital outlay needs to prioritize and guide the development of a capital improvements budget.

The committee is comprised of staff and parent representatives from each building as well as community members. The hard work of researching these areas are about to begin. If you have thoughts related to specific needs you would like to share, please send those good ideas my way.

Stay tuned!

CJ