By Joe Hadsall

jhadsall@joplinglobe.com

Despite record rainfall in June, the Joplin R-8 School District remains on track with its many construction projects.

“The rain has dried out, and we’re going full steam,” Assistant Superintendent Doug Domer said last week. “We built rain days into our construction schedule, so the rain hasn’t affected us yet.”

Three elementary schools — Eastmorland, McKinley and Stapleton — are getting additional classrooms. The $6.1 million plan will eliminate trailers at each of those schools and is part of a campaign to remove trailers from all elementary schools in the district.

Domer gave the following updates:

n At Eastmorland, workers are erecting cinder-block walls around the western edge of the school. When the work is complete, the new rooms will connect northern and southern wings of the building.

Workers also started assembling new playground equipment at Eastmorland on Friday.

n At McKinley, footings have been laid in preparation for walls that will be built. Expansion along the building’s eastern edge will add several classrooms, an elevator and a new entrance.

New playground equipment has been installed and is ready for pupils.

n At Stapleton, dirt work has begun for the new classrooms.

“We had to move the trailers out of the way,” Domer said. “It took time to relocate them and rehook utilities.”

New playground equipment will not be ready for children until the first part of October.

R.E. Smith Construction Co. is doing the work at each elementary school. Each school’s expansion is planned for completion in the fall of 2008.

Elementary schools aren’t the only things construction crews are working on this summer.