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Joplin Schools board hears construction update; McKinley parking work moved up in schedule
Summary
Board received a construction report showing exterior work nearly complete at several school additions, a decision to advance McKinley parking/civil work into phase two, and a status update that phase one remains under the $11.5 million budget with about $140,000 in allowances remaining.
The Joplin Schools Board of Education on May 20 received a construction update showing exterior work is nearly finished on several school additions and that the district has advanced McKinley’s parking and other civil work earlier in the phase-two schedule.
A district construction presenter told the board that interior finishes — painting, flooring and millwork — are largely complete at the phase-one sites and that the last concrete work at McKinley remains to be finished. The presenter said crews completed a required pre-development meeting with the City of Joplin and recommended moving McKinley’s parking-lot expansion and associated piping forward because current site conditions made it practical to do both lots together.
The move is intended to reduce rework and keep construction disruptions concentrated rather than repeated over separate timelines. The presenter cautioned that renovation projects commonly reveal unforeseen conditions underground or in older buildings — including asbestos — and that allowances and contingencies remain important.
Superintendent and construction staff also reviewed the summer schedule: demolition at the start of the summer work cycle and a plan to use interns from local programs to support site work. The board was shown photos of completed exterior and interior work at McKinley, Royal Heights and the Jefferson addition, and staff said landscaping and final tile/carpeting remain at some sites.
On budget, the board was told phase one remains under the $11.5 million allowance and staff reported roughly $140,000 in remaining allowances at the current stage; presenters said that does not include unknown contingencies that may appear when demolition exposes older building systems.
The board did not take formal action on the construction report; the update was provided for monitoring and scheduling decisions. The board’s next steps include continued project oversight, summer work execution, and coordination with the city on permits and follow-up approvals.
