PLEASE NOTE: The open house and ribbon-cutting scheduled for Oct. 28 at the Early Education Center has been canceled and will be rescheduled. Stay tuned for more details.
Kearney, Mo., October 13, 2023: There will be events this fall in Kearney School District to mark publicly the completion of two major Proposition B capital bond projects.
The Kearney High School Auditorium Renovation Celebration will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 24 at the school. This event will feature performances by the KHS choir, under the direction of Dustin McKinney, and the cast of the school’s upcoming production of the Disney musical “The Little Mermaid,” under the direction of Haley Kernes.
“We’re excited to welcome the community into our school to see this beautiful new facility,” KHS Principal Andy Gustafson said. “This project will help provide outstanding experiences for our theater, choir and band students, in addition to facilitating school- and district-wide events.”
A ribbon-cutting will be held later this fall for the recently expanded Early Education Center. More details will be provided as they are finalized.
KSD residents approved the $44 million zero-tax-rate-increase bond issue on April 5, 2022, to fund a new long-range facilities master plan for the district. Approval of the bond issue did not increase the district’s property tax rate. Prop B bond funds can only be used for capital improvement projects.
The EEC and KHS auditorium were among several Prop B projects that were finished on time as promised this summer. Other completed projects included additional restroom facilities in the sixth-grade wing at Kearney Middle School, and roof replacement and wall repairs at Kearney Junior High.
The EEC roughly doubled in size to take over the entire building that used to be shared with KSD’s central office.
“This significantly enhances our capacity to serve and support our preschool children and their families,” EEC Principal Amy Baugh said. “Demand for these services has soared and we’re excited to welcome those families to a bigger and better EEC!”
The performing arts auditorium at Kearney High School first opened in 1989 and was overdue for an update. Crews extensively renovated the space. That work included the installation of new seating. They also modernized the lighting and sound wiring and equipment to meet current standards.