By KEN CARPENTER
Great Bend Post
The school building in Bushton that was closed in 2019 because of school consolidation has new life thanks to donations from area citizens and a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The city of Bushton purchased the building in 2020 and began renovating it into a multi-purpose facility.
The former school is a relatively new building that was constructed in the late 1990's. The city's offices have been moved there, and city council meetings are held in what used to be the school's cafeteria and commons area. The building is also providing space for the town's recreation commission and area library. Some private businesses have also been moving into the building.
The structure's lighting and HVAC system were removed by the school district when the school closed. Bushton City Councilmember Alan Siemer said those utilities are being replaced along with other renovations as money becomes available.
“We raise funds, then we get together as a city council,” Siemer explained. “We decide what the next priority is, and then we’ve got the funding to move that forward. One project we just completed was a mini-split heating-cooling system for one of the businesses that right now is on the verge of being completed.”
An $88,600 grant from the Department of Agriculture will give the project a big boost. According to Siemer, the town must raise and spend $72,000 before the federal money becomes available. He said he is pleased with the local support the project has received.
"We would love to still have a school, but that is no longer an opportunity for us, and now it’s being used to benefit the whole community and the surrounding rural community as well,” Siemer commented. “And they’ve really shown how strongly supported it is because of the amount of funds we’ve raised to get the building up and growing.”
The building sits on about 13 acres of property. The school's gym, which was built in 1954, is also being used for activities along with the former school's well-maintained football field.
