Kennewick High to host open house before bulldozers arrive

The Kennewick School District is gearing up for a big rebuild, tearing down much of the old Kennewick High School to make way for a new building.

But they're opening the doors to the public before the bulldozers show up.

"We get a lot of requests for class reunions to come in and walk around, usually get those for August and September, but the building won't be here in August and September," said KeHS principal Ron King. "So, we decided to have one last open house for the public to come in and walk around."

While the current structure will be leveled to make way for new construction, the district is working to salvage as many class gifts as possible. The lion structure that sits in front of the school on Dayton Street will return to the property once the new building is completed.

There is also an effort to include some of the old with the new.

"Some of the annex gym floor is going to be repurposed to create a learning stair," King said. "That is basically a big stair case wide enough for kids to sit on and hang out. they'll refinish that wood and make that part of the stairs."

The open house is scheduled for June 1, 2019, from noon to 2pm.

King says the open house will be very informal, allowing the community to walk through the facility, while the KeHS booster club will be on hand during the June 1st open house, selling shirts and other school merchandise.