Details of new Wright City high school features, safety discussed

Derrick Forsythe, Correspondent
Posted 2/7/22

With the April election just over two months away, the Wright City R-II School District is diving into the details of its plan to build a new high school along Highway F. A pair of no-tax-increase …

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Details of new Wright City high school features, safety discussed

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With the April election just over two months away, the Wright City R-II School District is diving into the details of its plan to build a new high school along Highway F. A pair of no-tax-increase ballot proposals will be taken to the voters in hopes of receiving their approval to move forward with the project.

Art Bond from Bond Architects was on hand at the R-II monthly meeting on Jan. 20 to present the latest updates of the plans to board members. Many of these details reflected feedback received from patrons over the past several months.

“The architects actually spent time on campus interviewing staff and students,” said Superintendent Dr. Chris Berger. “They took a template after they saw how our site laid, and we agreed to a general print of the building. Staff were able to give input on how many classrooms were needed, the best furniture to accommodate needs and locker locations.”

Bond highlighted several specific pieces, including safety features and data related to traffic flow and the construction of new roads. The design includes windows that are elevated to seven feet above the outside ground level, which is a means to deter intruders.

“We’re trying to put a focus on safety,” said Berger. “We thought that was a pretty interesting design strategy with the windows. What research shows is that intruders don't want to spend time trying to gain access, so they’re just going to find a different way rather than scaling a high window.”

The design would allow for students and staff to see out but for outside visitors not to be able to look into the building.

“The other thing in the realm of safety that wasn’t emphasized during the meeting is that the auxiliary gym has a secondary purpose as a safe storm shelter,” said Berger. “A huge focus on value was looking at secondary purposes for all of the space we can. This includes using the expanded hallway areas as collaboration spaces where students can meet in groups outside of the classroom without having to sit on the floors."

Additional safety concerns outside of the building were discussed, including traffic flow and the presence of the railroad tracks to the north of the proposed building site.

“The feedback we got back from patrons were concerns related to traffic,” said Berger. “The railroad tracks are almost a mile away, but right now with the way the train schedule is set up, we don’t see that inferring with students coming and going from school.”

It is anticipated about 70 percent of the current high school enrollment of 500 would be traveling north to get home from the new facility. There is discussion to include a turn lane northbound onto Roelker Road and potentially build a new entrance that would allow for a four-way intersection that likely would not include stoplights at this time.

Berger says the proactive planning is to help stay on the proposed timelines if the voters are to approve moving forward with the project.

“That’s all in an effort to try to stay ahead of some of these delays that are occurring all over the nation in construction that are being precipitated by supply chain to labor shortage,” said Berger, who says the district will continue to spread awareness to the patrons of the district about what’s at stake with the two ballot proposals.

“The key takeaway that voters need to understand is that approval of both the Prop 1967 and 2025 allows us the flexibility to do both measures at no tax increase to our public,” said Berger. “That’s just a phenomenal opportunity our folks have. That’s a credit to previous administrations and board, since this has been in the works since 2010.”

Wright City School District, New high school

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