By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
Talks of what to do with the Washington school building in Great Bend have been ongoing for years but have heated up more this semester. To get a better feel for the situation at the repurposed school building, the USD 428 Board of Education took a tour of the facility last week following their monthly luncheon.
USD 428 Assistant Superintendent John Popp said afterwards that several options have been tossed around for Washington.
"We've talked about moving other programs here and spending more money on the newer side of the building to get it up to speed like a more modern building," said Popp. "We really don't want to spend that much money on it at this point. We continue to slim it down and find the bare minimum."
Sections of the building were built in the early 1900s, others added on in what is estimated the 1980s. While the building, at the intersection of Washington Avenue and Lakin Avenue, is used for a few district initiatives and the Parent Teacher Resource Center (PTRC), there are unused areas containing lead-based paint and asbestos.
"Do we keep this and wait until we need it later on and update it?" questioned Popp. "That will cost a lot of money. Do we tear it down and get rid of it? That's going to cost a lot of money. It's weighing all of those things. The truth is, we're not in a hurry to do anything with it, so we can take our time."
USD 428 administration received a quote of just over $1 million to demolish the older section and shore up the remaining building. Popp said the school board will reconsider any future decisions on Washington at this month’s meeting.
