Gators coming home: Groff to reopen with ribbon cutting, community tour

MOSES LAKE — After more than a year away from their school building, students and staff at Groff Elementary are preparing to return home. 

The Moses Lake School District will mark the reopening of Groff Elementary with a public ribbon-cutting ceremony and community tour at 7 p.m. Aug. 31 at the school, located at 1501 S. Moses Lake Ave. 

The event will give community members an opportunity to see the completed repairs and celebrate the return of more than 400 students and staff ahead of the 2026-27 school year. 

Groff students and staff left the building in March 2025 after concerns were raised about the facility. The district later announced the school would remain closed while construction deficiencies and life-safety issues were addressed, and a long-term repair plan was developed. 

According to the district, approximately $16.5 million in repairs have since been completed. The work included structural corrections, electrical system repairs, HVAC repairs and replacement, concrete and stairway repairs, gym floor repairs, sidewalk and drainage improvements, exterior repairs and landscaping. 

Throughout the closure, Groff students attended classes at other district schools, including Vanguard Academy, Garden Heights Elementary, Lakeview Elementary, and Longview Elementary. 

Groff Principal Nikki Mackey said staff members are eager to return to their school and reunite with students in the renovated building. 

“The Gators are back! After over nearly a year and a half of being out of our building, we are excited to welcome everyone back,” Mackey said in a statement. 

Mackey thanked the schools that hosted Groff students during the closure, as well as district maintenance staff and project leaders who helped prepare the building for reopening. 

“With great staff, community partnerships, and support from our Groff families, we are excited to be back in our beautiful building and look forward to an amazing year,” she said. 

District officials said the reopening marks a significant milestone for the Groff community after months of construction and relocation. 

“Through it all, learning continued,” the district said in a statement. “Our students and staff adapted, our families supported them, and schools across our district opened their doors to the Groff community.” 

The district is encouraging residents to attend the ribbon cutting and tour to see the improvements firsthand and celebrate the school's reopening. 

Students in grades 1 through 5 are scheduled to return to Groff on Sept. 2. Kindergarten students will return Sept. 8 and 9, according to the district. 

The district also released a fact sheet outlining the completed repairs, reopening timeline and ongoing litigation aimed at recovering the full cost of the repairs. 

As the start of the school year approaches, district officials say they are focused on welcoming students back into a building designed to serve the Groff community for years to come. 

“The Gators are coming home,” the district said.