Odin School Superintendent Melinda Kirgan is still hopeful for construction work to be mostly completed to start school on time next month. She gave an update to the school board Wednesday night.
“We are moving right along and I think we are in good shape. It looks like at the end of July they will finish the 3rd floor and hopefully, we can move back to the 3rd floor. They are going to do a lot of overtime to get us where we need to be to start school in time.”
Kirgan says they have run into some delays due to supply issues. As work has ramped up, around 30 construction workers are on hand each day for the complete renovation of the three-story high school as well as renovation of the school offices, roofing, and air conditioning improvements.
If projections are incorrect, Kirgan received board approval to contact the Baptist Church in Odin to see if their classrooms could be utilized for the junior and senior high school so classes could still begin on time.
Kirgan said there was a mishap among the construction workers on Tuesday.
She reports a painter painting the staircase near the one-story agriculture classroom adjoining the high school fell onto a lift below. The worker was initially taken to Salem Township Hospital and then airlifted to a St. Louis Hospital. However, he was expected to be released from the hospital on Wednesday.
In personnel action, the board accepted the resignations of family consumer science teacher Jennifer True, 4th-grade teacher Tanisha Bernard, and paraprofessional Caleb Jourdan. The board hired Stephanie Hodge as a junior high cheer coach, Bethany Phillips as Star Teacher, Vanessa Williams as Family Consumer Science Teacher, Michelle Garrison as a 4th-grade teacher, and Kayte Branch as a paraprofessional.
