The end is in sight for USD 252 Southern Lyon County when it comes to a lengthy renovation project.
Voters approved a $14 million bond back in 2017. On KVOE’s Newsmaker segment Wednesday, Superintendent Mike Argabright said the end result is “something everyone can be proud of.” The bond funded a range of improvements, including secure entrances at all schools.
Work has taken place in two stages, with construction and renovations at Hartford and Neosho Rapids starting in early 2018. Work at Olpe started a year ago because some areas did not have initial bids and certain bid amounts came in higher than desired.
All district buildings also have a STEM classroom and dedicated lab space for teachers and students. Schools also had their own individual projects, like a new weight room and kitchen at Hartford, a new multipurpose room at Neosho Rapids and renovated kitchen space at Olpe among the projects. Argabright says the initial reaction has been positive.
The district pushed back the start of school from Aug. 21 to Aug. 26 to give custodians a chance to get the buildings, notably Olpe, as clean as possible leading to the start of classes. Renovations to the cafeteria and library are ongoing at Olpe.
