Northeast News
March 27, 2013 

Damage. Pictured above is the 1914 addition of the former Thacher Elementary School, which was severely damaged by arson in 2011. The fire compromised the first floor, and smoke, mold and water damage have impacted other parts of the building. Tagging and other forms of vandalism continue to remain a problem. Originally built in 1900, the three-story building features Second Renaissance Revival style architecture. The building continues to deteriorate and will most likely be demolished some time this summer. Leslie Collins

Kansas City Public Schools is continuing to meet with neighborhoods regarding closed school sites.

KCPS recently met with the Blue Valley Neighborhood Association to discuss the next steps for the former McCoy Elementary School, which continues to remain a target for vandalism. Neighborhood residents and leaders are vying for demolition since the building poses a safety risk to residents and contributes to neighborhood blight. The former Thacher Elementary School could also face demolition.

As KCPS continues to evaluate the possibility of reopening Northeast Middle School, Thacher continues to remain a concern since it shares an 8-acre plot with Northeast Middle School. The former elementary school suffered major damage from arson in 2011 and continues to remain a target for vandalism. The KCPS repurposing initiative team has recommended demolishing Thacher, but final school board approval is still needed. KCPS is seeking community feedback and will host a public meeting regarding Thacher at 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 1, at the Kansas City Museum, 3218 Gladstone Blvd., Kansas City, Mo. The meeting will follow the Scarritt Renaissance Neighborhood Association meeting.