Sikeston’s St. Francis Xavier School makes improvements this summer

Barbara Tyrone, secretary of St. Francis Xavier Catholic School in Sikeston, shows on Thursday, Aug. 1 the new windows recently installed in the school building. Several other maintenance and safety improvements have been made to the school this summer.

Gina Curtis/Standard Democrat

SIKESTON — St. Francis Xavier Catholic School in Sikeston has been around since the 1950s and this summer has undergone some much-needed improvements.

The majority of the building’s summer upgrades were completed just in time for classes to resume later this month.

Jessica Hopkins, principal of St. Francis Xavier Catholic School, discussed the work done this summer.

“We have put in new windows,” Hopkins said. “We have also put in a new security system as well as the protective shatterproof film on the doors.”

Gina Curtis/Standard Democrat Barbara Tyrone, secretary of St. Francis Xavier Catholic School in Sikeston, shows on Thursday, Aug. 1 the new lines on the gym floor which was upgraded over the summer.

Other improvements, according to Hopkins, include new fence slats, new air conditioning units, new key fabrications for the doors and work done to the floors and walls.

“We put in the fence slats for privacy reasons,” Hopkins said. “The fence slats gives the children more privacy. It’s harder to see now who is who, so we wanted to get new fencing for safety reasons, too.”

Hopkins said they also received a few new doors, and Barbara Tyrone, secretary of the school, said that work was done on the gym floor.

“They put new lines on the basketball court and repainted the whole gym,” Barbara said. “We also are in the process of repainting and replacing the floors. We are still having summer camp right now so they haven’t finished all of that yet. Once summer school is finished, I will get the rest of it done.”

Tyrone said the windows that were replaced had not been replaced since the school was built.

“The windows were in really bad shape and way outdated,” Tyrone said. “They were so thin and flimsy so we are extremely thankful for the new windows. The windows were almost 75 years old.”

Hopkins added the school had a grant that assisted them with most of the improvements except the windows. 

“Since we were doing so many other upgrades, the church agreed to help us get the windows,” Hopkins said. 

Hopkins and Tyrone expressed gratitude to everyone who helped make and complete all of the improvements this summer before returning to school.

“School starts back on Aug. 22, and we have a back-to-school night on Aug. 20,” Tyrone said.