AXTELL — Axtell Community Schools held a groundbreaking ceremony during the afternoon of Tuesday, Dec. 3 to commemorate a renovation and addition project that was made possible by a $5 million bond approved by voters this spring.
Rob Gregory, Superintendent of Axtell Community School, welcomed the students, staff and members of the public to the ceremony.
Gregory said conversations regarding the need for changes to the school started three years ago. Initially, he and the school board looked into a lease-to-own model, but the funds were not available at that time.
Following a ten-month period, Gregory said they began to look into a bond measure. He said this began over a six-month period of educating the community about the needs of the school district.
The Axtell school district has also seen a 31 percent increase in students since 2015 for both resident and opt-in student enrollment. There have been issues of crowding and lack of space, and the facility lacks appropriate space for special education services.
“To solve these urgent issues, the district is proposing a facility expansion and renovation project that will create a secure entrance and office area, additional regular and special education classrooms, handicap accessible restrooms, and workspace. This addition will consolidate students into elementary, middle and high school wings on one floor, creating accessibility for all,” the bond website stated.
The bond plan allows for seven additional classrooms to be built and special education will get they’re one dedicated classroom. A workroom will provide educators with a quiet meeting and work spot and there will be seven additional, larger and handicap-accessible restrooms.
“To address our urgent facility needs, the Axtell Community Schools board of education has called an election for a bond not to exceed $5,495,000. This bond will fund facility safety and security improvements for students and staff, provide for district growth and improve the overall functionality of our facility,” the website states.
The bond went to the district voters during the primary election, which passed 222 to 167, with 389 votes cast.
“We needed to add seven classrooms for space and safety,” Gregory said, “We asked our folks to go vote and fortunately that worked out very well for us.”
Another change is that the entrance to the school will move over to 5th St. and will feature additional security measures.
Gregory said Axtell is a safe community, but this measure helps prevent any issues that might arise regarding access to the school.
Gregory said the entire construction process, if the winter weather cooperates should be 12 to 15 months. He said hopefully by next Christmas, the project should be completed.
The turning of the dirt during the groundbreaking involved Gregory, members of the Axtell school board and several students.
