Editor’s note: The administration asked the staff for their list of facilty needs since they deal with them every day. This is the unedited list which was presented to the board at the special June 23, 2016, meeting:
Elevator in HS
MS Gym including Health Classroom
Updated Science Labs
MS/HS Vocal Music Classroom – built for that purpose, plenty of space and the proper acoustics
HS Life Skills Classroom including kitchen and laundry area
Storage space for: choral risers & show choir risers, robes, sound equipment. Unsure of who will be setting up sound equipment in the future, since both choir & band teachers will be new again next year. There are also several filing cabinets of music in the press box. A closer, more easily accessible location would be nice.
We severely need an elevator. Injured students only being able to attend classes on the first floor really hurts their academic classes hosted on the second floor (specifically core subjects of math, science, English).
Also, it would be amazing to have one or even two more copy rooms. If I have to get a copy in between classes, I’m late to the next class because it son the other end of the hallway. At least I’m on the same floor, a lot of teachers are not.
+ More space to eliminate classroom overcrowding
+ Storage space
+Handicapped accessibility for all patrons
+ Better technology/internet capabilities
Speaking as a high school teacher, I believe we need a fine arts area complete with a stage/auditorium that could be used vocal music, instrumental music, and the theater department. I also think we have a need for a high school cafeteria/commons area.
The entrance at middle school where the buses enter the bus ramp is really rough.
The new sidewalk/ramp by the MS and HS cafeteria will be really nice. Great idea! It is also so exciting to watch the new building go up.
It would be great if we could extend the canopy on the bus ramp to the south end of the sidewalk. The handicapped bus often parks there in the morning and the students and paras are often waiting in the rain. I understand that this may not be a priority and thank you for asking for our input.
We need a canopy from the First grade hall out to the Early Childhood trailers. The kids travel back and forth throughout the day often in the rain. This would be a great addition. Thanks for asking our opinions!
Updated lab facilities that meet ADA and OSHAA requirements for square footage per student.
Updated and relocated safety shower and eye wash to meet recommended standards. (Should be available to students in the actual classroom, not hidden in a closet. One needed per lab/classroom.
Updated lab facilities to allow for teaching with technology/computers. (Space for technology within the lab.)
Three science teachers and only one true lab which is used as a classroom. Ideal setup would involve three lab/classroom combinations.
Gas line in Biology room needs addressed
-sound-proofing between drama and 8th elective rooms
-Storage in MS building for the sound cart that is currently stored in the drama class
– Double doors on HS north end doors. There is a real wind tunnel effect there and a lot of clean-up is done by janitors and teachers because of things blown in, not to mention the wasted money on energy costs
-An auditorium 🙂
– “Crow’s Nest” area above the stage needs grounded outlets in main room, walls, repaired flooring, etc.
-stage floor needs repainted
-more drama storage that can be accessed without stairs and tight corners or skinny hallways
-bleachers in MS gym have a few soft spots where people walk. One particular spot toward the top has a board broken through the floor
– the entrance to the teacher parking lot by MS gym needs the bump smoothed out some
Here are some that immediately come to mind:
Handicapped accessibility
Inadequate PE space–our staff does a great job sharing space, but I’m not okay with the times that weather or programs cause the kids to lose gym time or to share space (ms with hs)
Inadequate choir space
Antiquated theater space
Security issues–still too many access points…particularly in the hs building
MS special ed classes are too far from their peers
Minor:The gap between the ms awning and the door makes a slick spot when it rains or snows
Minor: the entry into the bus rsmp parking lot is extremely rough
More gym space
Locker rooms
ISD room/facilities
We need to have a field house out by the football field. Helmets and shoulder pads do not fit in the current lockers and and the locker room is not in a location that can be utilized during halftime or pregame due to its distance from the field. If the field house was big enough to have the weight room in it as well the current weight room could be used as classroom space.
Also thought of a handicapped restroom with changing area. This would really help our paras that put so much strain on their bodies taking care of our handicapped population. Also, more friendly for students than being laid on the floor of a storage room or regular restroom or available room. Dreaming big, but thought it was a good idea.
1. Area beside the Shop (where old Greenhouse was removed) could be leveled, wired with electricity, and used for an outdoor classroom. Area could be used for Animal Science Classes, student projects, class experiments and more. With water and electricity, other teachers would be able to use the space for their own outdoor lessons.
2. The fencing around the Greenhouse is no longer a solid fence since the Old Greenhouse was taken down. If the 15 feet of fence could be finished, it would be a closed in place with a padlock where maintenance, grounds, and Ag could use as outside storage.
3. The Ag Shop consistently leaks with any small rain shower. Working to make the room and storage area sealed off from rain would be a large improvement to the facilities. Right now, multiple days of instruction are lost due to the safety hazards of a flooded shop.
4. The windows in our classrooms are slightly tinted, but have no blinds. Instruction is difficult during afternoon classes with the sun beating into the room. Most days the projection screen is not view-able because of the glare. The constant traffic on the street in the afternoon also could be blocked with the blinds so no distractions occur during lecture.
5. Outdated water fountains. Students can stand at the fountains for 3-4 minutes and still not have enough water to fill their water bottle. Its important for students to keep hydrated, but its impossible for them to do that with the water pressure that comes out of the fountains here at school.
Is there a way we could look at putting some Handicap buttons on the doors at the south end of the high school by the drama and choir room and one on the north end of the middle school.
I know it gets a little hard especially on windy days to hold those doors open and push one of the chairs through.
Gym space for sure. As a mom that has had my MS boys mixed in with HS boys and girls, I definitely feel that needs to be addressed. Not only are there physical differences—especially when one child gets knocked in the head by a senior boy!—but the conversations overheard by the younger kids is not always pleasant. Of course, the overcrowding is an issue of its own.
Eating space for our high school students. Those kids really need a space they can sit and eat comfortAbly. Although many teachers are willing to allow students into their rooms, there are times we have extra duties or just need that plan time and the students end up sitting on the floors in the hallways. Good space might help with some of the messes we see daily too!
Bathrooms. Not much explanation: they are smelly and we need more stalls for the passing time rush!
Definitely handicap access for upstairs and into the gym.
Better ways for our classes/students to work collaboratively. Single desks are confining and hard to work around sometimes. Students need to be able to stand, move, engage! Tall stools and tables or just tables would be amazing! (Kind of a wish list item, but becoming a necessary tool when thinking about 21st century learning and teaching!)
Wish list: Outdoor classroom for the HS!
The bus ramp especially by the kindergarten door. There is a mat covering the hole but I’ve twisted my ankle on it 2 times during summer school.
The bathrooms at the football field could use some updating. They need to be more wheelchair accessible. There was many comments made about the accessibility of these bathrooms during football and track seasons! The handicapped needs to be big enough to put a wheelchair in and close the door as well as the stair leading into the bathrooms. Hope this helps. Thanks.
discussed the possibility for a counseling center. maybe where we share a room that could be utilized for small groups and contains a large table/chairs. Typically small groups have 6-8 students. Currently, neither of us have access to such a space. We thought this could work if our offices were on either side of it. Also, counselor’s offices (according to the Missouri Comprehensive School Counseling Program -dese) need adequate storage space that can be locked so built-ins that can lock would be useful in meeting this. Also, if we had a shared secretary in front of our offices, that would be helpful to have assistance in monitoring students coming in, preventing them from coming in when in session, helping with non-counseling duties such as printing/mailing grade cards, data entry, entering schedules, running lists (honor roll, ineligible, etc.) – just the items that can hinder full implementation of the dese program regarding responsive services, classroom curriculum, small groups, etc.
*Elevator
*Self contained classroom in the elementary.
*Our facility is definitely not as attractive as the schools around us.
*Students traveling to classrooms across the street.
*High school doors not being able to be locked like MS and elementary.
*Front doors by elementary office and the MS doors on the north – they don’t close well behind you and you usually have to slam the bar and really work with them to make sure they shut. Not sure everyone checks to make sure they get closed.
*The small HS music room.
*Outdated science labs.
*Gym space for MS/HS classes.
*It would be nice if we could purchase the pink house so we’d own the whole section, (this was mentioned to me by someone in the community). I agree with her.
*Could Barb’s room be turned into a mobile computer lab and then her room could be used for PT, OT, speech, self-contained, or other educational use.
*Repair the entrance into the bus ramp.
I think the most important issue we will face is being accessible for handicapped students and patrons!
Gym space is necessary not only for public events but for our physical education classes.
Doors and windows need upgraded to bullet proof and doors need to close securely every time.
Science labs need to be updated.
We need some form of soundproofing between the elementary BD (ED?) classroom and the Title reading/math room next door. That is very disruptive to classes.
The elementary sinks (especially outside the restrooms in the main hallway by the cafeteria) are inadequate to allow children to wash their hands thoroughly after using the restroom and before eating. There needs to be another set of sinks and water fountains.
The long driveway west of the playground and teacher parking lots need to be paved.
Elevator –
Science class rooms updated –
Gymnasium – for Physical Education classes, ball practices, etc. etc.
Football Field house, (equipment storage, locker rooms, Meeting room, Coaches office, with a weight room)
Would also like Teachers and Students (Laptops at a 1 to 1 ratio )
The middle school PE locker rooms are terrible! The area is very crowded when dressing out. It would also be nice to have more than one bathroom stall and sink. Heating and cooling in the girls locker room is nonexistent/minimal (there is a wall heater for during the winter). The only cool air that is sent to the girls locker room is from the AC coming down the steps from the office above it. It floods when heavy rain occurs.
It would also be nice if the MS weight room was somehow connected with an enclosed walkway to the HS building. Students have to walk outside to get to it, thus tracking water, snow, etc. into the weight room. My experience has been the HS weight teachers do not like the distraction of MS classes walking through their weight room.
A commons area would be beneficial for small school assemblies, awards assemblies, club meetings, school pictures. The gymnasiums are often taken for these events, therefore the PE classes have no place to go except the library if the weather is not acceptable.
I would also recommend an auxiliary gym, but I’ve heard the public consensus on that before. If we could somehow make it a multi purpose facility for concerts, plays, athletics…that might be easier to sell to the community.
I’m sure these have been brought up before, but door to the outside that shut properly on the first try. Also, a speaker near the elementary playground to hear announcements such as lock downs.
I feel like one of the biggest priorities to address is an elevator. Beyond that, an actual handicap bathroom in the high school and elementary, secured doors in hs. Coach had talked about doors on timers. A nurse’s station placed in the high school so students who have major health issues have easier access to the nurse. A performing arts center/auditorium so concerts and plays can be enjoyed in the appropriate acoustic surroundings. A new cafeteria for ms/hs so the multi purpose room can be used for elementary PE and middle school can have their gym and the high school, theirs. Awnings at high school entrances.
I feel that our handicapped accessibility issues need to be addressed. After working gate duty at sporting events held in the gym and hosting the Veterans Day Assembly we have numerous patrons who are unable to get to events in the gym easily. They shouldn’t have to go the long way around in order to be able to attend events in our building. Also the chair lift needs to be addressed. How much longer can that last and our students who use it are missing out on valuable class time because of its speed.
It would be nice to have a competition size gym with plenty of seating and locker room space so we could have tournaments or district/ sectional level games held in El Dorado Springs. Plus this would provide much needed PE classroom space. A stage could always be placed at one end so that space for the performing arts would also be available.
One improvement could be the addition of an auditorium /meeting area (which is not being used as a gymnasium).
That is about all I can think of as I am not in the building very much.
I would like mirrors in the 4th grade bathroom.
I do not know if this is a need or a want, but I have wondered if there is something that could be done between my room and the behavior room, so the kids in my room do not have to hear everything when a problem occurs in that room. Honestly, it rarely happens, but when it does, it has really worried the kids in my room. They can also hear the conversations that take place between the student and teacher in the room.
I also do not know if this is a need or not, but I think it would be nice for the elementary to have some more playground equipment to give kids more things to do on the playground.
I don’t know if these were the types of things you were asking for or not, but they were a couple things that came to mind.
This may not rank high on the priority list, but I think we need to do something to spruce up the main elementary entrance. I’m thinking something low-maintenance that would make our entrance look less “tired” and washed out.
Also, it would be so nice (and look so good) if our parking areas could be paved. I know this idea has been rejected in the past, but we have some new board members who might not think that’s such a bad idea.
I’m not sure anything can even be done about this, but I see kids/paras struggle with the stair lift everyday. They are always very patient but I hate to see them miss so much class time because it has issues or is just slow. I know this would have been fixed had the bond issue passed, but I thought I would throw it out there. Thanks for asking for our opinions.
Several teachers have mentioned that it would be nice to have a shed on the playground to store ALL of the playground equipment, rather than each grade having to bring theirs out and take it back in. Having everything in one place where all grades have access to it would be very convenient.
A room, closet, or hole in the elementary to store the overwhelming am9unt of clothing and shoes that are sent to the nurses office. PLEASE
Security for the large gym. We are setting ourselves up for a disaster.
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