Multipurpose FEMA building construction starts for Portageville School District

Ground work began in the spring for the Portageville School District's FEMA Safe room. The facility will also serve as physical education building for elementary students.(Jill Bock/Standard Democrat)

PORTAGEVILLE, Mo. - It is a project that required persistence and patience but the walls of a new Federal Emergency Management Building are finally going up.

According to Portageville Superintendent Michael Allred he sought funding for the FEMA building eight times unsuccessfully. The ninth time it was approved.

“It was a chore. Hopefully in the end it will all be worth it for the safety of our students and for the safety of our community,” he said.

Workers put the pre-cast concrete segment in place for the new FEMA building adjacent to the Portageville Elementary School on June 21. (Jill Bock/Standard Democrat)

The 9,000-square-foot building is under construction at the southwest end of the Portageville Elementary School. The central location will enable students and staff to quickly enter the building should there be an emergency during the school day, the superintendent noted.

It will also provide much needed space.

Allred explained currently the District’s cafeteria doubles as a gym. Students have breakfast in the cafeteria then the tables are folded into the walls for physical education classes. At lunch the tables are unfolded then put up again when lunch is over.

When completed, the cafeteria will remain a cafeteria. Allred said the District will also no longer use the folding tables.

“They are old and hard to get parts for,” Allred said.

He also called the tables a safety concern. According to Allred a student in another school district was fatally injured when a similar table fell from the wall, striking the child.

The new FEMA building will be used for physical education classes. It will include a full-size gymnasium with eight rows of bleachers on one side. In addition there will be public restrooms and a small concession stand.

Cost of the new building is approximately $4 million. While predominantly federally funded, the District is also putting money in on the project, Allred said.

Sides Construction of Cape Girardeau is overseeing construction, which is expected to be completed by the end of December. When completed, Allred said an open house is planned to allow community members the opportunity to tour the building.

As the construction of the concrete footings began this spring, Allred said the reaction from staff and the public was positive.

“I know when all this kicked off people were concerned about taxes going up. Now what I’m hearing is people can’t wait for it to be done so they will have a safe place to go,” Allred said. “We are excited to have it here for our students, staff and community.”