MOSES LAKE, Wash. — After nearly 17 months of closure and $16.5 million in renovations, Groff Elementary School is preparing to reopen its doors to students this week.
The school held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to showcase the updated facilities to families before classes resume. First through fifth graders will return Wednesday, with kindergarteners starting the following week.
The closure began in April 2025 when mechanical and electrical issues made the building unsafe for occupancy. What started as a temporary shutdown to address those initial concerns evolved into a much larger renovation project.
“We decided out of an abundance of safety and care for the staff and the students let’s shut the facility down,” said Ryan Shannon, Moses Lake School District Director of Public Relations. “That led to a multitude of different deficiencies that we found.”
District officials described the renovation process as peeling back layers of an onion. Each step revealed new potential hazards that required attention. Among the issues discovered were stairs that were originally off-level, creating a tripping hazard for students and teachers.
“We didn’t want to put a student or a staff member back into this building until we knew that it was safe to do so,” Shannon said.
The district is currently pursuing litigation to recoup the money spent fixing issues related to the original construction of the building.
Despite the lengthy closure and significant financial investment, school officials and staff expressed optimism about welcoming students back to the renovated campus.
“This was the right place to be, and for all of our own kids, we are in our own home,” Nikki Mackey, Groff Elementary Principal, said. “You always do better when you are in your own home.”
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