Chase County Old School Development District

Goal: $25,000.00

Specific Need

2024 The Old School board's next goal is to start an after-school program, but we have a major obstacle. A key to the program is to have a gymnasium for accommodating large groups, conducting physical activities, and use of the stage. With refinished floors, our gym is in excellent condition. However it never had airconditioning and was heated with an antiquated steam heat system. Multiple professional estimates for the necessary electrical upgrades to support HVAC and the heat/air systems top $200,000. As a board and with LOTS of volunteer help we have been able to pay off our mortgage $55,000; replace a roof $55,000; renovate a kitchen $10,000; refinish gym floor $2000; upgrade plumbing and renovate two bathrooms $10,000; add HVAC to a significant portion of the building $35,000; and renovate two offices and 2 meeting rooms $5,000. However the $200,000+ is beyond our financial capabilities. Holding multiple community events, smaller grants, and rentals of building spaces have been able to cover the previously mentioned renovations plus insurance, utilities, grounds maintenance and day-to-day expenses. We need Match Day funds to provide the initial funds to move forward on this key project.  UPDATE 2025: Hip!Hip!Horray! The Cottonwood Lofts (the 1903 building) are open and all 10 apartments have been rented.  We also were able, partially with Match Day 2024 funds, to upgrade all of the electricity in the Community Center - $43,000. This means we have everything in place to start purchasing HVAC equipment for the gymnasium, three more classrooms and the old cafeteria. We just need some amazing Match Day funds to jumpstart that process. UPDATE 2026: And another round of applause.... Thanks to a couple of grants and Match Day 2025 funds we now have a heated and air conditioned gymnasium and large stage area. Pickleball is now a year round option instead of just seasonal and, because of this, our group of regulars has grown significantly. We also upgraded our bathrooms making larger crowds for activities and concerts like the Logan Mize one, feasible. The band loved our venue so much that their next album is entitled Cottonwood Falls! We are also expanding our Haunted House event to include a hot dog/s'mores roast, haunted hayrack ride and fortune tellers. Last, we upgraded our back exit door area, making it both safer and much more aesthetically pleasing. Plans and hopes for Match Day 2026 funds are to purchase and install two mini-splits, therefore being able to use the last two classrooms year round. The purchase of more tables and chairs and some athletic equipment will complete the list of physical needs for our plans for the after school program and other expanded activities. 

Mission

The Chase County 'Old School' Development District is saving history and creating opportunities through a mission to save the built history of the old school and maintain neighborhood integrity by cultivating community engagement, developing opportunities, and ensuring fiscal sustainability. 

Profile

IN JUST THREE (NOW 5) YEARS THE CCOSDD BOARD & VOLUNTEERS HAVE MET THEIR INITIAL THREE MAIN GOALS.

• 1^ST - ACHIEVED STATE & NATIONAL HISTORIC REGISTRY DESIGNATION FOR ENTIRE PROPERTY
• 2^ND - RESEARCHED AND FOUND A DEVELOPER FOR THE 1903 BUILDING, developed and signed a contract for sale protecting both the 1903 building and the Community Building. Worked with the developer to obtain grants to convert classrooms to much needed apartments for the community. UPDATE 2025: The Cottonwood Lofts (the 1903 building) are open and all ten have been rented.  We had an open house in April, 2025 with a huge community attendance and outpouring of compliments. They are lovely, combining historic touches like original hardwood floors, huge windows, high ceilings and chalkboards, with the modern conveniences of new appliances, including washers, dryers and dishwashers, individually controlled heat and air, and beautiful kitchens and bathrooms.
• 3^RD – DEVELOPED THE GYM BUILDING INTO A MUCH NEEDED COMMUNITY CENTER. With that goal in mind:
• Our 8 volunteer board members clocked over 2500 volunteer hours and gave over $3300 in monetary donations in just the past 2 years.
• We set up a 501(C)3 organization with a board, bylaws, etc, established a bank account, an Emporia Community Foundation account, a PayPal account, and developed a website, a Facebook page, and an email account
• We obtained insurance to protect the property
• We got utilities to the building, including security lighting
• As fundraisers, we held approximately 40 (adding 2025 makes 47 & part of 2026 makes 52) major events – auctions & craft fairs, car shows, runs, haunted houses, Silent Disco, food sales, paranormal investigation, holiday events, open gym nights, quilt show, youth and adult art events, open houses, concerts, circus, food classes, fireworks sales, and wine tasting.
• We held approximately 85 (2025 makes 97 & part of 2026 makes 105) official board meetings and an additional 40 (2025 makes 47 & part of 2026 makes 55) official work days – cleaning, painting, building, preparing...
• We cleaned up and have maintained the 7+ acre property
• We added HVAC to a major portion of the community building
• We added a new roof to all of the flat portion of the community building
• We renovated a kitchen, two bathrooms, two large classrooms, an office and a conference room. We partially renovated 2 remaining bathrooms.
• We rented 2 spaces indefinitely and other spaces for daily use multiple times
• Allowed Chase County Commodities food program free use of building
• Sponsored a multi-year Pickleball program, Community Pitch Nights & Book Club
• We have written 13 grants and been awarded 8.
• UPDATE 2025: We were able, partially with Match Day 2024 funds, to upgrade all of the electricity in the Community Center - $43,000 and finish two more bathrooms. We had our 5th Annual Car Show, Country Christmas, and Haunted House and added two major music concerts - Logan Mize and Weda Skirts - and a circus to our already full event calendar. 
• UPDATE 2026: We were able, with grants and Match Day 2025 funds, to add heating and air to the gymnasium and stage area - $45,000, complete the last bathroom - $1500, and upgrade the back exit area - $2500. We added a craft fair to our 6th Annual Car Show, sold fireworks, celebrated Country Christmas, are expanding our fall Haunted House event and Logan Mize presented another concert and entitled their new album Cottonwood Falls!