Groff Elementary to reopen with ribbon cutting, facility tours

MOSES LAKE — The repaired Groff Elementary school will be introduced to Moses Lake School District patrons with a ribbon cutting and facility tour Aug. 31. The ribbon cutting for the remodeled school will be at 7 p.m., with tours immediately following.  

Groff originally opened in September 2021 but was closed in April 2025 due to concerns over construction deficiencies. Remodeling and repairs have been going on since. 

“Approximately $16.5 million in repairs have been completed throughout the school,” Ryan Shannon, MLSD public information officer, wrote in a press release. “Work included structural corrections, electrical system repairs, HVAC repairs and replacement, concrete and stairway repairs, gym floor repairs, sidewalk and drainage repairs, and exterior repairs and landscaping.”  

The repairs included additional insulation in exterior walls, complete replacement of the gym floor, rebuilt stairways with additional railings, repairs to the heating-cooling system, including replacement of incorrectly installed heat pumps. The roof and electrical system also required repairs. 

District officials filed a civil suit against the architectural firm that designed the building, Design West, and the contractors, Fowler Construction. The district reached a settlement with Design West in July, with the company paying MLSD $1.85 million.  

The civil suit between the district and Fowler Construction is scheduled for trial, Shannon told the Columbia Basin Herald. 

“That is still pending, with a trial starting in March,” Shannon said. 

While Groff was closed, its students attended their own classes at Vanguard Academy and Garden Heights, Longview and Lakeview Terrace elementary schools. About 400 students are expected to return to Groff when it opens, Shannon said.  

“We’re excited to welcome them back,” he said. 

District Superintendent Carol Lewis agreed. 

“Our Groff students, families and staff have shown tremendous flexibility throughout the past year and a half,” she said. “We are excited for them to once again learn, work and grow together at Groff and we are equally excited to invite our broader community inside to see the work that has been completed.”