Renovation Bids Accepted for Former Concordia Middle School

The USD 333 Concordia Board of Education approved six bids to bring renovations and improvements to the former Concordia Middle School facility during their regular meeting on Monday, March 14th.

USD 333 Concordia is moving forward with plans to reopen the former Concordia Middle School at 1001 E. 7th Street, with plans to relocate the district's 5th and 6th Grade students to the building beginning in August 2022.

In October 2012, the USD 333 Concordia Board of Education voted unanimously to support the administration's recommendation -- led by then-Superintendent Bev Mortimer -- to close the Concordia Middle School facility beginning with the 2013-2014 academic year, part of a cost savings measure for the district recommended by Jerry McCall with Educational Consulting Services, who the district hired in November 2011 to evaluate all of the district's facilities.

Currently named the USD 333 Service Center, the former Concordia Middle School facility in recent years has been home to the Concordia After-School Program (CAP), Head Start, and the Smoky Hill Service Center.  The gymnasium inside the facility is used by CAP, Head Start, Concordia Recreation, and many of the athletic teams at Concordia Junior/Senior High School.  Cloud County Community College also has rented the old cafeteria space, adjoining rooms, and locker rooms as a practice facility for the college's wrestling program.

Four years ago, the school board first discussed reopening the old middle school building to either accommodate the district's 5th and 6th Grade students, or to move all of the district's early childhood programs through kindergarten to the building while using the residual space to keep 5th Grade students at Concordia Elementary School an additional year.  Ultimately, in October 2018, Superintendent Quentin Breese suggested they look at additional data before making the call on reopening that building.

Last fall, USD 333 Concordia presented voters a $48.5 million bond issue to construct, equip, and furnish renovations and additions to district facilities, including various improvements to Concordia High School.  Voters overwhelmingly rejected the bond proposal, while voters in the City of Concordia also voted down imposing a 1.0 percent citywide general purpose retailers' sales tax to assist in the repayment of the principal and interest on the district's school bond facility project.

Part of the school district's plan released last year called for fixing the old Concordia Middle School building to once again house the district's 5th and 6th Grade students.  The facility repairs and improvements needed to the 5th and 6th Grade Center to enable operation of that school are expected to be paid for within the district's operating budget, without the need to go to voters, and utilizing federal funds distributed to the district for allowable expenditures.

Work to re-establish that facility started in January 2022.  During Monday's meeting, the board approved a bid for all new flooring from Country Carpet Inc. of Maple Hill, Kansas in the amount of $134,250.00.  The board accepted a bid for 188 double-tier hallway lockers from Design Central, LLC of Salina in the amount of $74,997.95.  A bid for classroom furniture from Design Central was approved in the amount of $202,970.59.  The board approved a bid for new kitchen equipment from Sunflower Restaurant Supply of Salina in the amount of $122,963.00.  A bid to furnish and install a new gas system on the roof was approved from Hood Heating, Air, Plumbing, Electric of Concordia in the amount of $29,344.00.  And a bid to install a new fire alarm system was approved from Tech Electronics of Kansas, LLC of Topeka in the amount of $71,903.00.

All bids were approved in a unanimous 6-0 vote.  Board member Kevin Pounds was not present at the meeting.

USD 333 Concordia Director of Operations and Technology Director Kelly Struebing says these improvements and renovations will allow the once shuttered school to become a functional campus again.

Struebing says the district anticipates middle school teachers will be able to move from their current location to their new classrooms in early-June.  Junior high school teachers will be able to transition back to the current middle school in mid-summer in preparation for welcoming students back next school year.

The fire system install is expected to take place in April, while the kitchen equipment and new furniture should arrive in May.

In personnel matters, the board accepted the resignation of Stephanie Downie as Head Concordia High School Cheer Coach.  The board also accepted the resignation of Carly Bloomfield as Head High School Girls Basketball Coach.  Bethany Richard has resigned as an Assistant High School Girls Basketball Coach.  John Hake has resigned as an Assistant High School Football Coach.  Sofia Gallup has been hired as an Assistant Junior High Volleyball Coach and an Assistant High School Track & Field Coach for the 2022-2023 school year.

The board also accepted the resignation of Jodell Callaway as an Interrelated Teacher at Republic County Junior/Senior High School.

The board approved the hire of Angela Beims as a Social Worker for the Learning Cooperative of North Central Kansas.

The school board met in three Executive Sessions.  The board held a 10-minute Executive Session for Confidential Business Data with Superintendent Breese.  The board also held a 25-minute Executive Session for Non-Elected Personnel with Breese, Struebing and District Treasurer, Business Officer Manager and Food Services Director Ronda Gumm.  And the board held a 20-minute Executive Session with Breese and Concordia Middle School Principal Curtis Noon to discuss matters relating to actions adversely or favorably affecting a student.

During public comments, a Concordia mother alleged her daughter was sexually assaulted at school by a middle school classmate.  The mother, who will remain unnamed by KNCK to hide the identity of her daughter, claims that after the initial assault her daughter has continued to be sexually harassed and bullied, including being encouraged to kill herself by a classmate, leading her to remove her daughter from the school to protect her from further harm.

"My daughter should not have to feel uncomfortable going to school," the mom told the board of education.  "My daughter is an amazing child and she's becoming depressed over this.  It is affecting my whole family.  She doesn't want to go to school.  She has the potential to do anything, and this is destroying her idea of school, what she thinks about school, and what she thinks about being safe."

The mother said she has been in contact with local law enforcement and Cloud County Attorney Rob Walsh.  Board member Mark Nordell said that since this is an ongoing investigation they would not comment on the matter.

Following the meeting, Superintendent Breese released a statement that said:

"USD 333 is committed to supporting our students in the very best way we can.  Student safety is our top priority and we take every situation seriously.  We have gifted educators working with students daily.  Our educators are visible, engaged, and trained to assess the situation, assign discipline according to policy and work with the student to improve behaviors.  While one responsibility of our system is improving the behavior of the accused, another responsibility is continued support for the students who suffered from the comments or actions.  This is a very unfortunate situation and our caring educators will continue to support our students to strive for excellence both academically and in interactions with other students."