Community Tours Highlight Urgent Concerns at McCook Junior High Ahead of Bond Vote

By Adrienne LaBay

“The building is settling.”

McCook, Neb. - It’s a phrase many heard more than once during recent tours of McCook Junior High, held on July 10, 16, and 21. Leading the tours was Principal Chad Lyons, who walked visitors through the aging facility and outlined numerous issues caused by years of structural shifting.

“It’s a domino effect,” Lyons explained. “A support pillar in the cafeteria settled, which tipped the building and kinked the sewer pipe.”

The tours were part of the school district’s efforts to build support for a proposed $42 million bond to reconstruct the junior high. The project aims to improve classroom conditions, enhance safety, and bring the building into full compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Title IX regulations. The vote is scheduled for August 12.

Before the tours began, Superintendent Grant Norgaard gave a brief presentation outlining the proposed construction plans, showing concept renderings, and answering questions. Attendees were then guided through the building by Lyons.

Starting in the cafeteria, Lyons led groups through eastern hallways and classrooms, pointing out plumbing problems, sloping floors, and makeshift classroom dividers made from curtains. He also discussed plans to renovate the gym and raised safety concerns in the industrial technology and art rooms.

One particularly troubling area was the girls’ restroom near the front office. Lyons pointed to the steep dip in the floor—an issue that, he said, has existed since he began working at the school.

“Just that half-block in the girl’s restroom,” Lyons said. “I mean, it’s defeating gravity. Nothing’s holding it up.”

John Hawkins, a retired professional who toured the building multiple times, expressed concern about the potential for an accident. He recalled witnessing two sudden structural collapses during his career in Washington, D.C.

“It’s not going to be to the scale that I saw, but it wouldn’t take much for something to happen to a kid,” Hawkins said. “A brick, a wall—someone could be seriously hurt.”

Lyons also addressed concerns in the industrial tech and art rooms—spaces originally designed for band and choir. These rooms still have tiered flooring, which increases the risk of trips and falls.

“It is a concern,” he said. “Sometimes a student or staff member missteps, and you have a crash—a table hits the floor.”

Heat is another issue. The area lacks air conditioning, earning it the nickname “Hell Hall” among students. Crowded conditions add to the challenge, with students wedged between machines, materials, and projects.

“I believe our industrial arts spaces are the worst in the state,” Norgaard said.

The reconstruction plan includes a designated parent drop-off and pick-up area, which Lyons said would reduce daily traffic congestion. McCook resident Mike Farr, who joined a tour to see the building firsthand, welcomed the idea.

“I’m actually impressed with the parking that’s going to happen here,” Farr said. “I’ve dropped off multiple kids here. It’s a struggle to park, to get through, and to navigate kids moving between classes.”

Architect Matthew Clause, with W Design Associates, also toured the building and cited concerns about poor construction—particularly around the girls’ bathroom and east classrooms. He noted that some window columns appeared poorly sealed, allowing airflow that accelerates deterioration.

Clause explained that moisture seeps into the materials, freezes, expands, and then thaws—causing repeated expansion and contraction that leads to structural cracks over time.

A common question raised on the bond website is why full reconstruction is needed instead of repair. Norgaard and Lyons estimated that renovating the building would cost $20–32 million, but they warned it would only serve as a short-term fix.

“I know what it takes to keep up an old building,” said Farr. “And there’s nothing like throwing money at the same problem over and over. It’s just Band-Aids.”

According to Norgaard, even a full renovation would only buy the district another 30 years—at which point the junior high would still need replacement, and the high school, nearing 100 years old, might also need reconstruction.

“When I sat down with W Design, I said, ‘We need a 100-year building,’” Norgaard said. “That’s what they’ve designed. In 30 years, we’ll need a new high school. Thirty years after that, an elementary school. This bond is for 30 years—so we need to get at least 90 years out of this.”

Jeff Gross, the school’s business manager, warned that delaying reconstruction could significantly increase costs. He estimated that waiting could raise the price tag to $57 million. If the high school and junior high end up needing to be rebuilt around the same time, the community could face multiple bond requests.

“We as a community cannot afford more than one bond,” Gross said.

Whether the school is renovated or rebuilt, the project will take about two years. If reconstruction moves forward, the district plans to minimize disruption by temporarily relocating industrial tech classes to the old armory. Academic classes would continue in the current building during construction, as the new facility would be built on the site of the industrial tech wing.

To ensure safety, construction zones would be securely fenced off.

“Trust me, the construction company does not want anybody on that site other than people wearing hard hats,” Norgaard said. “They’ll have all kinds of barriers set up. I feel pretty good about that.”

Renovation, however, wouldn’t allow for that flexibility. The entire building would be an active construction zone, and the armory is too small to house all students, raising serious questions about where learning would take place.

Renovation would also require bringing the building up to modern code—including installing sprinkler systems, updated stairways, emergency exits, and possibly even an elevator to meet ADA standards.

“That building was built to 1960s code,” Clause said. “A lot has changed since then—a lot has changed since 2000.”

The final public tours of McCook Junior High will take place at 6 p.m. on July 29. Private tours can be scheduled by calling 308-344-4400 and speaking with Heather Collicott.

For more information, visit yesformccook.com.

“I’m no engineer,” Lyons said. “But I know this building is tired.”