Perry County School District 32 held a public meeting Tuesday night at Robinson Event Center to provide updates on tornado recovery efforts and seek community feedback on the future of Perryville High School.
Mr. Steven Telscher from Sapp Design Architects provided an overview of ongoing and completed recovery projects on the District 32 campus since it was struck by a tornado on March 14, including the work being done to install temporary classrooms in preparation for the beginning of classes on Aug. 20.
The meeting was also District 32’s first opportunity to begin a conversation about what direction the community would like to pursue in rebuilding the High School. Mr. Telscher gave a full scope of the damage to the High School building and presented three potential approaches for the District to consider in rebuilding. The approaches were: A. Renovate; B. Renovate and Expand; C. New High School.
Click here for a more detailed overview of each approach
District 32 is seeking feedback from the community to learn more about what improvements they would like to see to district facilities and which approach will best suit the District in the future.
“We want to look beyond one year or five years. Really think about what you want the school district to be doing and how it will support the community 15 or 20 years down the road,” Telscher said. “This school can be whatever you want it to be.”
Community members are invited to complete the online survey linked below, or to print out a paper version to fill out and return to the District 32 office at 519 N. Main St. The online survey expires July 29. Please note, the online survey features a “desert island” test question prior to the survey questions.
Ongoing Storm Recovery & Temporary Classroom Updates
Mr. Telscher began Tuesday’s meeting with an overview of tornado recovery projects across campus that have been completed or are currently in progress. Some of the highlights include:
Roof and shingle repairs to the Old Senior High, the Career and Technology Center, the Old Vocational Building, and the Elementary
Window repairs at the Old Senior High
HVAC repairs/replacement at the Elementary
Replacement of field turf on the football and practice fields
Mr. Telscher also gave the community an overview of the temporary classrooms that will soon be installed on campus to accommodate high school classes for the upcoming school year. The planned temporary facilities include:
A large enclosed learning expo with 22 classroom spaces
A science expo with labs for science classes
A fitness center that will house a weight room and locker room facilities
A band complex
A choir complex
The learning and science expos will be built on the high school’s gravel parking lot, which is currently being paved in preparation. The fitness center and band/choir buildings will be built on the northeast corner of the bus lot, adjacent to Pirate Stadium. The temporary facilities will create a more cohesive school environment than the trailer-style classrooms of the past. They have windows, HVAC systems, restrooms, and interior offices, rooms, and hallways.
“We wanted to make it an environment that they could be proud of, where the students can have a more normal school year,” Mr. Telscher said.