Jefferson Middle School addition gives it a gym, accessibility and great views

Jefferson Middle School now has the accessibility the late Chuck Graham advocated for years ago and a real gym, instead of a stage, for students to play basketball and volleyball.

The more than 18,000-square-foot addition to the structure was accomplished with two bond issues: of $6 million in 2018 and $6.5 million in 2020.

Principal Jacob Adams provided a tour of the new space after school on Thursday.

There's now an elevator, two skywalks and a new gym. The gym is connected to the rest of the building by a new hallway.

Graham, a former state representative who used a wheelchair, complained at a school board meeting at one point that the building wasn't accessible, decades after approval of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

"The biggest piece is the ADA access to all floors," said Adams.

There's the elevator, but also chair lifts on the stairs, he said.

Adams said he likes being on the third-floor addition because of the view from the windows.

"I like coming up here because it has a beautiful view of the original construction and the additions in the '50s and the '80s," Adams said. "There's also the WPA construction from the '30s."

Works Progress Administration was the Great Depression-era jobs program.

That's looking north. The view looking south reveals a large swath of downtown Columbia.

There also was a classroom addition in 2004, he said.

The original construction from 1911 served as Columbia High School, but the previous high school was built on the site in 1900 and before that, Columbia's first public school in 1881. It became Jefferson Junior High School in 1927 and Jefferson Middle School in 2013.

Adams knows every part of the school, he said.

"I grew up in this building," Adams said. "I've been everywhere in this building."

He attended the school when it was Jefferson Junior High School, but spent lots of time there before that.

"I can remember running down these halls when I was five, six, seven years old," Adams said.

He's the son of retired teachers Craig and Susie Adams, who worked in the school then, so he spent many hours there.

The school has a focus on STEAM education, science, technology, engineering, the arts and math.

"Obviously that's a big draw for students," Adams said.

There's also a zoo, with dozens of animals. The students care for them.

The school has an attendance area, but students from other so-called "lottery" schools including Locust Street Expressive Arts Elementary School and Benton STEM Elementary School also may attend, Adams said.

The gym is a welcome addition, Adams said. The girls' volleyball team was practicing after school on Thursday.

It has full locker rooms and a concession stand for games.

The gym has been used since January, but work didn't finish until recently, he said.

There's also a new track on the west side of the building.

The addition helps a lot with the flow of students, Adams said.

"It's been a really good addition for us," Adams said.

Roger McKinney is the Tribune's education reporter. You can reach him at rmckinney@columbiatribune.com or 573-815-1719. He's on X at @rmckinney9.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Historic CPS building receives modern updates for accessibility