Lot where south building once stood will be used for parking

By Jessica Breger Special to the Monett Monthly

The Monett School Board met May 21 to discuss both finances and improvements for the upcoming school year during its regular board meeting. 

The meeting resulted in the board approving not only renovations to parking for the new year, but also to the pick-up line at Monett Elementary School.

Board members discussed parent and local resident concerns that have been long expressed over the traffic flow during pick-up and drop-off times near the school. 

They stated that not only has the current arrangement been frustrating for guardians of students, but also for local commuters trying to use the streets near the school during those times. 

In absence of any existing alternative route, the board unanimously voted to create a new path for pick-up and drop-off at the school. 

“If we’d have known they [bids] would have come in this cheap, I would have probably looked at this a long time ago because one of our number one complaints from the community, at least that live around MES and that pick kids up at MES, is the pick-up at the end of the day when the traffic gets back on County.” said Mark Drake, superintendent.

“People that have to pass on County in the left lane, trying to get around us, we’re blocking driveways. We would have guessed the bid would have been far higher than what this is to be honest.”

Currently, guardians must use County Road and Learning Lane to line up drop-off and retrieve students during high traffic times especially at the end of the day, causing delays for, guardians, staff and local commuters. 

The new path would divert the school traffic by having school traffic come in by the daycare facility, past the daycare where they will turn right at the daycare and follow the back woods where there is an outdoor classroom and to the front of the elementary building. 

The new road will be a one way avenue strictly for school traffic, clearing the road congestion at the end of the day. 

“It’s going to alleviate a lot of traffic issues on County,” Drake said. “That lane going on the back edge of the woods, and then down the west side of MES will hold most of the cars that get lined up, and if not, they can go into the neighborhood a little bit, so it will essentially take all the traffic off of County and Learning Lane.”

The board also approved paving and striping for a south parking lot to be established where the South Building once stood. 

The building is currently being demolished per recent action by the board. Drake said that while many community members have recently been reminiscing on social media about the building, it has seemed to be a general consensus that it was outdated and the public has agreed it was the right move to demolish it. 

The new lot will provide additional parking for staff, faculty and guests near the administration building.

The projects will cost approximately $260,000 and will come out of the 2026/2027 school budget. Drake said the vote is being taken early so that the work can be completed over the summer and be ready for the upcoming school year.

Monett School Board meets at 6 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month at Board Administrative Meeting Room located at the District Office.