Kickoff ceremony set for projects

USD 234 will hold a kickoff ceremony celebrating the district's $40.8 million school bond projects and campaign at 5:30 p.m. Friday at Frary Field.

USD 234 Superintendent Bob Beckham said the event will include remarks from key people involved in the bond campaign in 2014, district students and representatives of companies who are continuing to help bring the bond projects to fruition.

"This is officially to kick it off," he said. "We're calling it a kickoff celebration rather than a groundbreaking. There will be no shovels and dirt."

Beckham said he will start the event with a welcome for attendees. USD 234 Board of Education President Jordan Witt will talk briefly, followed by comments from Diana Mitchell and Carolyn Sinn, who served as co-chairs for the bond campaign.

Trenton Toth, a local fourth grader and Garrett Tatro, a senior at Fort Scott High School, will give remarks. Beckham said attendees will also hear from Senior Architect Ed Carlson, representing Hollis and Miller, the district's architectural and engineering firm, and Nabholz Construction Services Executive Vice President John Paul. Nabholz is the construction management company for the bond projects.

Beckham said the event was scheduled to take place between the FSHS volleyball Red/White Scrimmage at 4 p.m. and the FSHS football Red/White Scrimmage at 6 p.m. Friday.

Other school board members are expected to attend but are not scheduled to speak, Beckham said.

"It's a feel-good thank you to the community for supporting this," he said. "They will be sitting in the presence of progress."

Voters approved the bond issue in November. Recent bond projects at FSHS have involved demolition of the old Juco wing and a variety of improvements, including new artificial turf, at the district stadium, Frary Field.

Other district schools have needs to be addressed throughout the two-year process to complete the projects. School officials have said the plan is to get all bond projects completed by the start of the 2017-18 school year.