Kansas City’s school district plans to move main offices

Kansas City Public Schools wants to move its central offices out of downtown.

The district said in a statement Thursday that it has entered into a sales contract with the Nazarene Publishing House to purchase several buildings at 29th Street and Troost Avenue.

While the sale is not final, school officials said the contract is part of a plan to relocate the district’s central offices and consolidate district headquarters, maintenance, operations, security and engineering facilities into one location from two.

School officials said they believe the move would provide “improved access for KCPS families while also significantly reducing operating costs, freeing up additional funds that can be reallocated to student programs.” It is also expected to save the district money in the form of reduced utility and facilities’ costs.

Moving the district offices from its longtime current space at 1211 McGee St. is something the district has talked about for several years.

The Nazarene facility was selected “for its central location within the (district’s) boundaries, easy access to public transportation, energy efficiency, and the ability to meet many of the unique needs of KCPS, including office and warehouse space, and public and board meeting spaces,” the district statement said.

The Nazarene print operation closed down last fall.

School leaders will seek feedback from district families on the move into Nazarene Publishing House facilities at a public meeting scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 16, at the downtown central office.

This story was originally published November 19, 2015 at 6:43 PM with the headline "Kansas City’s school district plans to move main offices."