KSHB 41 reporter Olivia Acree covers portions of Johnson County, Kansas. Share your story idea with Olivia.
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Guadalupe Centers will open a new early childhood center this morning to accommodate more toddler and pre-K students. Early next year, they'll begin the next step to address growth in the district by converting the old FBI building into a school.
Guadalupe Centers has outgrown its current high school space, and the school district has maintained a 400 to 600 student waiting list for years. Shifting buildings will help them absorb most of those students.
Part of their plan for the new building includes a career and workforce training center, which Beto Lopez, the president of Guadalupe Centers, says is badly needed.
"It will also house a career and workforce training center is also very exciting for the community, and that will be available for all other schools and charter schools in the area, and that's just an extra service that I think is badly needed," Lopez said.
While other buildings converted into schools typically require increased security measures, turning the old FBI building into a school actually means toning down existing security features.
"In this case, we might have to tone some down because of the nature of that structure, but overall, as far as when we move in there, we take a lot of pride, obviously, in the safety and esthetics of our properties, and so we'll definitely add a little color and flavor that makes it more to our brand here at Guadalupe, and make it a nice learning environment for the students," Lopez said.
Construction is scheduled to start in early 2026, with the goal of welcoming students by August 2027.
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