Field House work nears completion

SIKESTON — Renovations at the Sikeston Field House are nearing completion.

Sikeston R-6 Superintendent Shannon Holifield briefed the board of education on the district’s building projects during the Tuesday, Nov. 14 regular meeting at Central Office.

“For the most part, we should be in good shape to start our winter sports (at the Field House),” Holifield said. “We actually had the Field House’s first debut with the veterans assembly (on Nov. 10). They were the first people to walk through the front doors.”

The maintenance department is finalizing some projects and cleaning, she said.

While the new gym floor, bleachers and entrance at the Field House have been installed, there are a few remaining tasks.

“We have a base that is going to go around the inside (in the Field House) that is scheduled to be installed next week,” Holifield said. “The (stage) curtain will probably be installed around Christmas.”

The aluminum storefront has not arrived yet and is anticipated to be here by Christmas, she said. There will also be a frosted film of an outline of a Bulldog head that will be placed on the entrance doors.

The superintendent noted part of this project included the girls gym/practice facility.

“It has a new, wood floor,” she said. “That floor had been in really bad shape.”

Also a part of the project was updating the girls locker room in the girls gym as well as the boys PE locker room, she said.

“Because they’re used daily, that has been pushed off for completion in the spring,” Holifield said.

In other news Tuesday, the board approved a resolution for the election of board members during the April election.

The first day of school board candidate filing for the April 2, 2024, election is Dec. 5, and the last day to file is Dec. 26. Sikeston R-6 Board members whose three-year terms will expire in April are Renee Grimes and Matt Tanner.

Those interested in filing for the Sikeston R-6 school board election can do so at the office of Bryan Nickell, board secretary, at 219 S. Kingshighway in Sikeston.

Leonna Heuring/SD Sikeston High School senior Chloe Lin smiles after being named the district’s nominee for the MSBA FutureBuilders Belcher Scholarship Tuesday, Nov. 14 at Central Office. Looking on is Superintendent Shannon Holifield.

Leonna Heuring/SD Sikeston High School senior Chloe Lin smiles after being named the district’s nominee for the MSBA FutureBuilders Belcher Scholarship Tuesday, Nov. 14 at Central Office. Looking on is Superintendent Shannon Holifield.

In other business at the monthly meeting, Sikeston High School senior Chloe Lin was selected by the Board as the Missouri School Board Association FutureBuilders Belcher Scholarship nominee.

Board Vice President Renee Grimes was involved in the process to select the district’s nominee.

“I was given a stack of fantastic applicants and given the task of choosing one as our nominee to go on in this process to hopefully win a scholarship with MSBA,” Grimes said.

Grimes then told the crowd Lin was chosen to represent the district.

“Miss Lin has a very, very impressive academic, extracurricular and community involvement resume, and her essay was by far the best one that I read,” Grimes said. “So, I am very pleased to choose her as our nominee.”

Following the Board’s approval for Lin to be the district’s nominee, she was recognized by the Board.

As informational items, elementary building principals Dee Beydler with Wing Elementary, Abbie Edwards with Southeast Elementary and Crystal Hartzog with Lee Hunter Elementary each gave their achievement updates.

Kaleigh Merideth, R-6 nurse coordinator, provided the health services report while Sikeston High School Academic Leader Katie Henry gave the ACT report.