Assuming Mission Valley closes as planned this May, the district will have a major decision to make: what to do with the building.
Superintendent Gene Johnson said at Monday’s board meeting the district hadn’t actively explored uses for the building, but suggested several possible options. The district could repurpose it somehow, or it could be used in part or in whole by a city or county agency. Johnson suggested the Johnson County Library might have some interest in using the new library as an extension of its Corinth branch.
But given the district’s budget woes, it might make the most sense for them to find a private buyer. When Johnson introduced his proposals to close the school in September, many people speculated the district had targeted Mission Valley over Indian Hills because its recent renovations might make it a more attractive purchase option for a private school or church.
Several people thought Kansas City Christian, which presently holds most of its classes at what used to be Ridgeview Elementary School, 4801 W. 79th Street, could be a potential buyer.
We contacted Kansas City Christian chairman Allan Chugg after Monday’s meeting, and he said his organization had not had any contact with the Shawnee Mission district regarding the property. Moreover, he said there had been no internal conversations about whether KC Christian would have interest.
“The decision to pursue this property would have to come from the board of our school. Since this decision happened [Monday], it is a little too soon for us to respond to at this time,” Chugg wrote.
