There was a very celebratory atmosphere inside of the Mary Herbert Education Center Wednesday evening, both before and after the USD 253 Board of Education’s regular meeting and there was no shortage of reasons as to why.
Firstly, the board recognized and celebrated the district’s recent acknowledgement as a Capturing Kids Hearts National Showcase District with representatives of the seven district buildings which were named CKH National Showcase Schools this year. Later, the board would approve a contract with ATG Sports Industries Inc. to conduct a $3.6 million renovation of the Emporia Middle School track and field.
If you recall, the renovation was first discussed during the board’s last meeting in late April and will see the installation of a new track and football field, seating, parking, a concessions area, restrooms, a new throwing area and a perimeter fence. EMS Principal John Martin says this investment in the middle school will open up a whole new realm of possibilities for students and the community.
The investment will also benefit Emporia High School as explained by Principal Dathan Fischer Wednesday evening. For many years now, the high school has shared its facilities with the middle school for various activities due to the condition of the middle school track and field.
Fischer says the abundance of use by both schools means an accelerated amount of wear and tear on the high school facilities.
The cost of the project will be paid for out of capital outlay dollars, which can only be used for capital improvement or “brick and mortar” projects such as this. While the price may seem hefty, ATG President of Sales Joe Gianino (Juh-Neen-Oh) says the district is getting a tremendous bang for its buck.
Work on the new track and field is scheduled to begin by the end of May, if not early June and should be wrapped up by September.
Another cause for celebration Wednesday evening came after the board accepted an offer on the former Kansas Avenue School Building at 315 South Market from Frontier Development Group. Frontier offered $80,000 for the property with $10,000 in earnest money with plans to renovate the former school building into a “workforce housing product that honors the historic integrity of the building,” such as it has done in several other communities, including the Cottonwood Falls Lofts in Chase County.
While the offer was much lower than the listed asking price for the building, well over $300,000, USD 253, Superintendent Dr. Allison Anderson Harder says the group’s reputation and past work certainly spoke for itself.
Frontier President Tyler Holloman agreed with Anderson Harder, saying he believes the group’s work in the local area helped further their cause in acquiring the property.
While the district has accepted the offer, this is far from a done deal as it comes with several contingencies:
*The property must be rezoned to multi-family residential use
*The property will need to be designated as a Reinvestment Housing Incentive District (RHID)
*Frontier will need to receive a Kansas Housing Investor Tax Credit
When asked if this gave the district any pause, Anderson Harder stated she is confident all contingencies will be met and the deal will move forward. The next immediate step in the process will be for realtor Matt Johnson to draw up a contract that will be reviewed by district leadership and legal counsel for both parties in the coming weeks.
A closing date has not yet been set.
If these developments were not enough cause for celebration, the district also received the final construction update on the multi-million dollar Building for the Future Bond Initiative from Eric Woltje of McCownGordon Construction. Wotlje and Superintendent Anderson Harder will join KVOE’s Newsmaker 2 segment Monday at 8:20 to discuss the end of construction for the project.
Further details from the board’s meeting Wednesday evening can be found by visiting the district’s website USD253.org. The USD 253 Board of Education will next convene on Wednesday, June 11 at 6 pm inside of the Mary Herbert Education Center.
