Clinton City Schools preparing for growth
Clinton City Schools is looking to expand North Clinton Elementary School. (photo:Ben Pounds )
Director of Schools Kelly Johnson gave an update about the school system’s summer plans at the May 18 Clinton City Council meeting.
She said it was hard to believe how quickly the school year had gone by.
North Clinton
Elementary
to expand
The council approved $15,000 for a site survey related to expanding North Clinton Elementary School.
Johnson said the expansion will come in the next few years.
Scott Rhea, fiscal services director for Clinton City Schools, told The Courier News he hoped the site survey would be finished in June. At present, he said, the project is still in the planning phase, working with architects, surveyors and civil engineering.
“With anticipated growth and current needs, we feel it is the time to prepare for the next generation at NCES before we have to add temporary spaces in-lieu of construction,” he said.
Rhea said the school system hopes to add four new classrooms to NCES and expand its multipurpose gymnasium area. He said he also hopes to add four “response to intervention” small-group rooms for targeted instruction.
He said the school system might repurpose existing office spaces for those, moving offices and security elsewhere.
“The community, teachers and students can expect NCES to continue to thrive and grow and develop as a model school in the state,” Rhea said.
“The building is the basic part of the equation. The staff are the essential part of the system; for that, we build and retain great people to work with our students. We hope that our NCES parents are proud of what they have helped NCES to achieve.”
Johnson also requested these budget amendments to address projects in the school system, which the council passed unanimously:
n $72,000 to replace 14 heating, ventilation and air conditioning units at South Clinton Elementary School.
n $20,000 for staff development.
BizTown
Johnson spoke about the free camp for rising forth- through sixth-grade students, held May 26-29.
“They will have a four-day BizTown experience that is absolutely phenomenal,” Johnson said, adding that 75 students were signed up to attend.
BizTown is a program by Junior Achievement in many locations, including Clinton.
Exceptional
Artist Camp
Alison Swanner, Clinton Elementary School teacher, will be hosting Exceptional Artist Camp at Clinton Elementary School now through Friday (June 5).
Johnson said she was “eager and excited” to host this activity again.
She said it is an all-day enrichment art program open to all children in the area, not just Clinton students. She estimated it would draw 250 students.
Summer School
Summer school for Clinton City Schools began May 29 and will run through June 26 at North Clinton.
Other Renovations
Johnson said the school system plans to re-roof a section of North Clinton Elementary.
It also plans to replace all of the interior door handles at South Clinton Elementary, along with replacing the vinyl tile in several classrooms.
She said the system also is replacing the floor at Clinton Elementary School in the cafeteria and vestibule.
