USD 464 also will be giving away some furniture and other items in late December during two sessions, with the first to be open to community groups, churches, daycare and the like and the second to the general public.

The cafeteria equipment liquidation auction started this past week and will end at 5 p.m. Dec. 18. Kuiken Auctions is running the auction. It can be viewed at apro.bid/auction/4275/bidgallery/page_Mw. Winning auction items must be picked up at THS the next day Dec. 19.

The donation and community giveaway event will be Dec. 23. The morning time slot will be open for donation to any organizations such as 4-H or churches and other community groups that may be in need of school furniture or kitchen equipment that won’t be headed to the new school construction. Some of the items that potentially will be available at the giveaway are school desks, chairs, cabinet shelves, office equipment, plates and utensils at both the east and west THS campuses. The morning time slot will be 8 a.m.-noon and the afternoon session will be 1-6 p.m.

Anyone wanting to pick up items for organizations during the early time slot Dec. 23 is asked to call ahead so that the district can get their information. They can contact Kelly at 913-416-1400.

There also will be limited staff on site Dec. 23 to answer questions during the two sessions and all items must be taken from school grounds that day. District officials encourage visitors that day to “bring families and friends and dollies.”

Construction work on the new commons area and gymnasium on the east campus is expected to start the next week. That project will involve tearing down the high school building up to the existing gymnasium. A new commons area and gymnasium will be constructed, with the east parking lot being renovated as well to connect to the north parking lot that was reconstructed this year. Students will begin classes in the new two-story academic learning center just east of the Tonganoxie Performing Arts Center later when they return from winter break. Open houses also are in the works for the community. Specifics for the open houses will be announced in the coming weeks.