Bryan Stalder
Contributor

At 3509 Anderson Ave., the former Scarritt Elementary School still stands behind boarded windows and locked doors — a sturdy brick reminder of a different era in public education in Kansas City, Missouri.

For many residents, the vacant building is more than an empty school. It’s the last physical link to a neighborhood network of public schools that steadily disappeared over the past 15 years.

Those closures began during the tenure of former superintendent John Covington. Following the 2009–10 school year, Kansas City Public Schools implemented what officials called a “right-sizing” program. Facing declining enrollment and financial strain, the district shuttered dozens of campuses across the city.

What followed left lasting scars in the Northeast.

McCoy Elementary, located at 1524 White Ave., was closed and later demolished after years of vandalism and deterioration. Thacher School, at 5008 Independence Ave., once considered the oldest standing structure on the corridor and originally built in 1900, also closed. After suffering fire damage, it too was torn down despite neighborhood efforts to preserve it. Today, only a marker remains. The adjacent middle school soccer field bears the name Thacher Field, a quiet tribute to what was lost.

Scarritt, however, still stands — vacant, but not forgotten.

Kansas City Public Schools (KCPS) is hosting a tour of the former Scarritt School site this week. Here are the specific details for the walkthrough:

• Date: Thursday, April 16, 2026
• Time: 10:00 AM
• Contact for Registration: Christel Highland with Block Real Estate Services
  • Email: chighland@blockllc.com
  • Phone: (816) 410-9584

Additional Details for Interested Parties: The site is currently listed for sale through the Block Real Estate Services brokerage team, and KCPS is accepting redevelopment proposals. If you are interested in submitting an offer, the deadline is May 15, 2026.

The district is looking for proposals that address community feedback and prioritize the reuse of the historic building, which has been vacant since 2010.

In recent years, neighbors and artists tried to keep the building from becoming another casualty of neglect.

Students from the Kansas City Art Institute created large murals for the school under the direction of professor Hector Casanova, a Pendleton Heights resident. The multi-year effort began around 2014 and continued through 2016, with students painting wooden panels that covered doors and windows.

The goal was simple: deter vandalism while transforming the hulking structure into something colorful and welcoming rather than blighted.

For a time, the bright murals did just that. The building looked less abandoned and more cared for — a canvas instead of an eyesore.

But the years have taken their toll. Some panels have been vandalized or damaged. Trespassers have entered the building. Copper thefts and interior deterioration have added to the challenges of preservation.

Now, officials say there is renewed effort to move the property forward.

Since closing in 2010, the school has sat mostly vacant. The district eventually declared the property surplus and listed it for sale, seeking redevelopment proposals. Two formal proposals emerged in 2023 after a public meeting hosted by Kansas City Public Schools.

One, submitted by Exact Architects, proposed converting the building into 38 to 50 market-rate and affordable loft-style apartments, with 40% of units designated for low-income residents. The plan also included a pet park, community garden and shared commercial space.

A second proposal, led by developer Laura McGrew of 405 Development, outlined a $10.5 million plan to transform the school into an arts-focused community hub. The concept featured artist studios, a performance space in the existing auditorium and community gathering areas, with the possibility of housing in a later phase.

Despite early interest, both proposals stalled in 2024 after a key financing obstacle emerged.

Each plan relied heavily on Historic Tax Credits to be financially viable. However, a preservation consultant hired by the district determined the building did not meet the criteria for listing on the National Register of Historic Places — a requirement for accessing those credits.

Without that designation, both development teams indicated they did not see a clear path forward and withdrew from consideration.The setback effectively reset the process. The property was re-listed for sale through Block Real Estate Services, LLC, where it remains on the market as officials seek new proposals.

To encourage action, the district has set a deadline of May 15 for developers to submit proposals. In addition, a site tour for potential buyers is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Thursday, April 16. Interested parties must pre-register through the brokerage team.

Even with this renewed push, the building remains in a familiar state of limbo — too historic to ignore, too costly to easily convert.

Still, some neighbors aren’t ready to give up.

Pendleton Heights resident Margarita Friedman has emerged as one of the most persistent advocates for a new vision. Friedman hopes to transform the former school into a cultural arts and community center offering art classes, youth programming, immigrant services and family resources.

“This project is thought of as an association of organizations that together will solve the problems of the community,” Friedman said.

Her concept includes tutoring for struggling students, English-as-a-second-language courses for parents, and partnerships with local nonprofits — all housed within the old classrooms.

“The core of services has to be helping public schools, helping parents,” she said.

For now, however, funding remains elusive, and her proposal has stalled as the property continues to be marketed to potential buyers.

Scarritt’s story stretches back generations. Like many neighborhood schools built in the early 20th century, it served as more than a place for lessons. It functioned as a polling site, a gathering space and a cornerstone of daily life for families who walked there from surrounding blocks.

Alumni still recall assemblies in the auditorium, recess on the playground and community events inside the brick building that today sits quiet except for the wind and the occasional creak of plywood.

That history is part of why residents say the building deserves another chance.

After watching other Northeast schools disappear — first closed, then damaged, then demolished — many see Scarritt as the last opportunity to preserve a piece of neighborhood heritage.

While the future of the building remains uncertain — it’s not entirely stagnant. With a proposal deadline set and new tours underway, the coming months may prove pivotal, But unlike McCoy or Thacher, Scarritt hasn’t been reduced to a memory or a plaque. Its walls still stand. Its halls still echo.

And for neighbors who remember what it once meant, that’s reason enough to keep trying.