KCRag Forum

With the new KC School District reorganization plan now moving forward.  What should happen to the vacant school properties?  There are already a lot of vacant school buildings, but many are not in good shape.  I would assume that since they will be recently closed, these buildings are at least servicable.

Any ideas???

Can we get a list of the buildings they are closing?  The use might depend on their locations.

They already said many will be converted to elementary schools.

"KC School District Buildings... Reuse?"

"What should happen to the vacant school properties?"

"many will be converted to elementary schools."

The irony is breathtaking! 

Here in topeka there is 1 elementary school that was converted to a office building. there is a high school building that was converted to an office building. Yet another elementary school was converted into a comunity center. The very school that Linda Brown was escorted to class by the national guard was used temporarily as a warehouse for the library. there is another elemtary school that was converted into a dinner theater. There is a elementary school that is now a national park. So there is a viable usage for any old school. 

Err, prisons??

No No No. They felt enough like that when we were going to school.

I think we should use them for jails since we have so many criminals getting out early due to overcrowding

The Norman School in Valentine is just waiting for re-use.  Nobody'd take that chance with the stone building at Brooklyn + 71 HWY, but that's a damn fine looking building.

I suggest the Board of Education move out of their building on 12th Street (with its long vacant library at the base)and into one of the soon to be vacant school buildings.  Sell that block to a developer.  Those millions could pay for a lot of teacher salaries and textbooks.

Great idea!  The KC School Board building downtown is way beyond its useful life and needs millions in upgrades.  Sell the land and use the dollars to remodel an old school for admins!  They may have enough left over for other uses, like educating students!   

Some that have found another use...

Jackson School - 1201 Ewing

Whatsoever Community Center


DA Holmes (Benton School) - 3004 Benton

DA Holmes Senior Apartments


George Washington Carver School - 1516 Campbell

Kansas City Community Center


They're doing something with...
West Junior High School - 1936 Summit
...but i'm not sure what





Switzer School (connected to West Junior) - 1829 Madison



And others that haven't been so lucky and haven't found something new to do...

Bancroft School - 4300 Tracy



Norman School - 3514 Jefferson



Horace Mann - 2008 E. 39th



Manchester School -6839 E. Truman



Faxon School -3710 Paseo

Wow, those at the bottom that haven't found reuse are amazing!  Are they for sale and at what price?

Beats me, I had an assignment to do a photo-documentary - so I saw the neighborhoods and thats about it. I do hope they are available someday though, I have quiet dreams of opening an artist residency program. Big windows, high ceilings, and a gym... sigh. (i'll worry about their wretched state later.)

JDluu wrote: Beats me, I had an assignment to do a photo-documentary - so I saw the neighborhoods and thats about it. I do hope they are available someday though, I have quiet dreams of opening an artist residency program. Big windows, high ceilings, and a gym... sigh. (i'll worry about their wretched state later.)

Your contribution of pictures is great.  Good thread.

Thanks, I had a lot of fun hunting out the schools. It was really interesting to see what had happened to all the schools kcmo had when it was a 70,000 student district. It's funny how the loss of 35k students can really change a place.

KCPSD approves plans for sale of West High School, Switzer Elementary, Switzer Annex, and Blenheim Elementary.

The Kansas City school board voted last week on deals with developers for West High School, Switzer Elementary, Switzer Annex and Blenheim Elementary. Developers’ plans include market-value rental units, senior housing, a grocery store, commercial space, residential units and medical offices.

http://www.kansascity.com/2012/05/28/36 ... lives.html

Blenheim Reuse Assessment

http://www.kcpublicschools.org/cms/lib6 ... enheim.pdf

West/Switzer Reuse Assessment

http://http://www.kcpublicschools.org//Page/786

Two more KCPSD buildings find new uses and are under contract.

Hogan Preparatory Academy, the Swope Corridor Renaissance’s Upper Room and the Town Fork Creek and Blue Hills neighborhood associations all joined in the deals, bringing a roar of applause once the unanimous votes were cast.

The sales still have to be closed, but Hogan now expects to be able to expand its charter school program with the purchase of Pinkerton Elementary School, 6409 Agnes Ave.

And the neighborhood associations can carry on with plans for a community center at Graceland Elementary, 2803 E. 51st St.

http://www.kansascity.com/2012/10/24/38 ... losed.html

Anybody have a tally of how many have been put to reuse and how many we have left to go?

kboish wrote:Anybody have a tally of how many have been put to reuse and how many we have left to go?

10 down, 20 to go.