PORTAGEVILLE -- When it came time to prepare meals each school day for more than 800 students, Portageville Superintendent Michael Allred kept his fingers crossed.
Each day as the staff prepared meals not only for the Portageville School District students but those in Head Start and attending St. Eustachius Catholic School, he hoped the decades-old cooler where the food was stored was still working. The walk-in freezer, which was equally old, didn't freeze to the point it was a danger to staff as they went in to retrieve items.
"We are on borrowed time," he said about the freezer. "It is hazardous for the kitchen staff because ice builds up on the floor."
To defrost it, the kitchen staff moves the frozen items to the walk-in freezer at Hayti so it could be cleaned, Allred explained.
Soon Allred's worries will be over.
Working with architect Gary Barbee with Sam A. Winn and Associates, the school district had plans for improvements on the drawing board. Now, with overwhelming approval earlier this month by voters in the Portageville School District of $1.8 million in general obligation bonds, request for bids for renovation of the high school cafeteria will be sought.
According to Allred, plans call for the addition of 20 feet to the current high school cafeteria. The expansion will provide more room for equipment and food preparation.
There will be all new equipment for the kitchen, including new walk-in cooler as well as a walk-in freezer. The floors will be knocked out so new plumbing lines can be installed.
According to Allred, construction could actually begin this summer. He estimated it would take about eight months to complete the project.
While the cafeteria renovation is the primary improvement, it isn't the only one.
The district plans improvements to the high school locker rooms and has allotted some of the funds to break up the concrete floors and install new plumbing. The bonds will fund repairs to sections of the roof at the High School and the elementary school along with renovations of the girls restroom at the elementary school, two restrooms in the middle school and four at the high school. Also the district intends to purchase two school buses.
Finally, Allred said the District wants to set aside $500,000 to serve as matching funds should the District receive approval and the money from FEMA to build a safe room to provide protection in case of a tornado or other emergency.
Allred said the District is excited about the planned improvements which will improve the district and make it safer. The Superintendent added he was very pleased by the community's support.
Prior to the election, District personnel hosted community meetings to inform residents about how the money would be spent and printed informational flyers. The Bulldog Foundation encouraged supporters to put signs in their yards.
"I expected we would have good support, but I didn't expect it to be so strong," said Allred. "We have great support here from our community. I feel like we all work hand in hand -- they support our schools and schools support our town."