Scotland County R-1 Schools was recently awarded a $238,120 grant through a joint funding effort on behalf of the Safe Routes to School Program ($70,926.00) and the Transportation Alternative Program ($167,194.00).
The grant funding will allow the Scotland County R-I School District to improve public access to the school campus with the creation of ADA compliant sidewalks which will connect the entire campus. The grant proceeds will be used for the addition of ADA compliant sidewalks that will connect the entire campus including areas such as the baseball and softball diamonds, the football field, the all-weather track, the band room, the playground and the vocational and FFA classrooms, not to mention the various parking lots. The TAP project proposes construction of more than 1,300 linear feet of sidewalk to connect the parking area on the western edge of the campus to the facilities on the eastern edge of the campus.
“By creating the connected system of sidewalks on the school campus, the proposed TAP project will benefit the entire Scotland County community. The district’s all-weather track is open year-round to the public for exercise. The softball and baseball diamonds are used by the city little league program during the summer and are open for public practices. We are very excited about this recent award and the value it will add to our campus. We are excited to take the next step to enhance our facilities and campus” said Scotland County R-1 Superintendent, Ryan Bergeson
The School District plans to incorporate this TAP project with ongoing efforts by the City of Memphis to upgrade pedestrian facilities to expand its safe routes to schools initiatives. The school district and the city have partnered in an ongoing TEAP project examining roadway, stormwater and sidewalk/crosswalk improvements on Lover’s Lane, the main access route for the campus that will further upgrade pedestrian access, safety and connectivity and will ultimately help connect these campus upgrades with the ongoing sidewalk projects in the city.
The estimated cost of the overall project is approximately $297,650.00 The grant proceeds include a 20% match component so the overall project will cost the district $59,530.00. The district is hopeful the project will be completed before the start of the 2025-2026 school year.
