More than 20 years after closing, the former East Platte Elementary School building was sold.
The transaction was approved during the Platte County R-3 Board of Education meeting in May.
The sale of the 25,000 square foot building and 22.9 acres of land at 12220 NW Skyview Avenue to Cachorro Cattle Company was for $175,000.
The Mountain Home, Texas, business has a branch in Platte City.
East Platte Elementary was opened in 1961 and served as the southern campus for elementary students until 1996, giving way to Siegrist Elementary, which opened in 1997 housing second to fourth graders, while an addition was made at Barry School to add five classrooms and a gymnasium.
The old East Platte Elementary School building and property off Skyview Avenue near Ferrelview were sold last month for $175,000. The school opened in 1961 and served until 1996 when it was made obsolete by the opening of Siegrist Elementary in Platte City.
Since it closed it has been leased by a few different businesses.
The district will pay a six percent sales commission to Newmark Grub Zimmer of the purchase price.
The BOE also approved the purchase of computers for staff and students, while upgrading the lighting at Wilson Auditorium at Platte County High School.
A technology upgrade was budgeted and will replace desktop computers for staff and new Chromebooks to cover device replacement and enrollment growth to help the one-on-one goal for sixth to 12th grade.
Four companies submitted bids for 75 desktop computers, with the winning bid being awarded to Firefly Computers for $48,675.
The other three bidders were at least $3,000 more: Eastern Data, Inc. ($51,81.75); Staples ($51,624.75) and OM Office Supply ($52,575).
Staples had the winning bid for the Chromebooks for $31,210 for 100 Chromebooks computers and Google Chrome management license.
Firefly had the second lowest bid at $31,300, followed by Eastern Data at $31,725, OM Office Supply at $31,970 and Trinity3 at $33,800.
The current lighting at the Wilson Auditorium is the original ones installed in 2001.
Associated Threatrical Contractors will include lighting, lighting control, electrical and batten rigging system upgrades.
The winning bid was $130,000 plus a five percent contingency to cover items on the bid tabulation. The second bid, from A to Z Theatrical Supply and Services, was incomplete.
The district announced hirings that filled two positions.
Anna Bohn will be the assistant principal at Pathfinder Elementary next school year. She joined the R-3 district in 2016 and most recently taught fourth grade at Siegrist Elementary.
She graduated from the University of Kansas and previously taught in Topeka, Kan., before coming to Platte County. She graduates from William Woods with a master’s degree in administration this June and will then pursue an education specialist degree.
Bohn will replace Dr. Jami Domeny, who served four years in the role as assistant principal.
Stephanie Theis will join Platte County High School as an assistant principal, after serving as a math teacher at Barry School.
She joined the R-3 District in 2015, coming over from the North Kansas City School District. She is a graduate of UMKC and Mid-America Nazarene and William Woods, the latter two master’s and education specialist degrees. She is currently working on her doctorate in administration.
A number of retirees from the district were also honored as the collective group had 161 years of service in the district.
Those retiring include Anna Nutt, Libby Miller, Heidi Mick, Carrie Gray, Steve Rolofson, Tolan Singer, Cindy Torrey, Cynthia Miller, Kelli Buckler and David Scott.
Other notes:
The board approved a lease agreement between the district and Columbia-based Classrooms Inc., for four modular classrooms for the sum of $59,999.96 through the 2019-2020 school year. The first payment of $29,999.98 is due on July 1.
An agreement was approved with FEDChex Recovery Services, a collection agency based in Irvine, Calif., that will be used when all other efforts to collect money owed have failed. If accounts remain delinquent after 120 days. FCR will remit 75 percent of the amount recovered to the R-3 District and keep the remaining 25 percent. If it reaches a pre-legal stage, 50 percent will be kept by FCR for their efforts.
Electronic proof of residency for returning students is due by Friday, July 13. For more information, contact the district education center at 858-5420.
The SCHIVIR Me Timbers honorees recognized in May were Henry Assel and Darrin Jordan, transportation mechanics. They were honored for qualifying the district’s bus fleet for the total fleet excellence award.
Summer school started on Monday, June 4, and will run through Friday, June 29.
The next board meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, June 21 at the District Education Center. A board of education retreat is slated for Saturday, June 9.