Truman Elementary

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="007c8863.jpg"> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#999966" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="6" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >Truman Elementary<B>   </B></FONT><A HREF="http://www.jaspercountyschools.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.jaspercountyschools.org"><U><B>home</B></U></A><B>   </B><A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Webb City"><U><B>Webb City School</B></U></A></div> <div> In 1997 the Alba grade school was deemed to be unsafe.  It was estimated that it would </div> <div> cost $180,000 to correct the numerous safety violations at the 90 year- old building.  Nine </div> <div> new subdivisions had opened east of Oronogo and the idea was brought forth to build a </div> <div> new school at the intersection of 96 & D Highways on 30 acres of land purchased by the </div> <div> district in May 1995 for the sum of $86,156.</div> <bR> <div> A two million dollar bond issue was brought before the voters in April 1997 and was defeated </div> <div> by less than 1 percent of the number of votes needed to pass.  The issue was brought before </div> <div> the voters again in June and was then passed.  In July, architect Jim Latimer presented plans </div> <div> for the new building to the school board.  The plans were approved and Crossland Construction </div> <div> Company of Columbus, Kansas was awarded the construction contract after submitting the low </div> <div> bid of $1,886,100.  </div> <bR> <div> In October 1997, Homer Scott of Purcell suggested that the new school be named after </div> <div> President Harry S Truman who was born in Lamar, Missouri, about 30 miles from the new school. </div> <div> A groundbreaking ceremony was held in December 1997. Construction began in 1998 and the </div> <div> school was ready for the 1998-99 term.  An open house was held on August 18, 1998.  The new </div> <div> L-shaped school building contained 19 classrooms, a media center, computer lab, kitchen, </div> <div> commons area, a multi-purpose room and an art/music room.  </div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1c3bc290.jpg" border=0 width="700" height="297" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> 2004, Harry S Truman Elementary School  </div> <bR> <div> As Oronogo and the surrounding communities continued to grow, the need for more classrooms </div> <div> arose.  A $1,134,210 addition was made to the building in 2004.  In 2006, plans were made for a </div> <div> new building to house the kindergarten and first grade students attending Truman Elementary </div> <div> School.  The new building would ease overcrowding at the school.  It was decided to name the</div> <div> new school after President Harry S Truman's wife, Bess Truman.  The Bess Truman Primary</div> <div> Center opened the fall of 2007.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1c4bc3e0.jpg" border=0 width="700" height="318" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> 2007, Bess Truman Primary Center</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>