The St. James R-1 School District announced May 28 that the Tiger Trail sidewalk project is undergoing construction this summer with $513,500 from a Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant from Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT), of which $418,800 is allocated from federal funding.

The project, which began June 1, is the result of an April 2024 grant application submitted by Assistant Superintendent Dr. April Williams and awarded in August of that year. The Tiger Trail sidewalk will connect existing walking paths at the elementary school to the multipurpose football field.

The contractor selected to complete the work is B&P Patterson LLC, a construction company located in Linn.

Williams announced in a May 28 press release that impacted areas are closed to the public, including the facility’s main entrance and parking lot. She added that the elementary school’s rear and preschool parking lots are closed until further notice.

Students and staff who need to utilize the field can find alternative parking in the lot near the locker room or at the high school.

Field access is by the locker rooms/field house, following a designated path.

The district recommended preschool parking be differed to the street, near the fourth-grade, or the bus lane entrance.

Access will be limited during the day on South Seymour Road behind the elementary school and heading through the bus lane out onto the road where construction is taking place. Buses will be allowed through in the morning and the afternoon.

The district expects the projects to continue through August.

The next school board meeting will be at 6 p.m. on June 10 at 122 East Scioto Street.