A religious school in Longview is finalizing a $1.8-million deal with the Kelso School District to buy the old Beacon Hill Elementary School and remodel it as the newest campus serving students above sixth grade.
Three Rivers Christian School, which serves about 600 students in the Lower Columbia region from preschool through high school, is in the process of buying the 10-acre parcel of land at 257 Alpha Drive in Longview that once housed Beacon Hill Elementary School, according to a Monday press release from the school. The school says grades seven through 12 could be relocated to the Beacon Hill property by early 2023.
Kelso School District closed Beacon Hill Elementary in April 2020 and the students were relocated to the newly built Lexington Elementary School in 2021.
In February, the Kelso school board approved putting the parcel up for sale, but members have not taken official action because of the required due diligence and feasibility period that ends July 6. The board could finalize the deal as early as July 11, according to district spokesperson Michele Nerland.
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The $1.8-million purchase will fund capital projects in the Kelso School District, Nerland said in an email to The Daily News.
When Lexington opened this school year, Kelso’s school board was left to decide what to do with the old Beacon Hill property. In board documents, members called the parcel “unsuitable and inconvenient” for the district.
The Beacon Hill site includes a roughly 44,000 square-foot building, constructed in 1976, according to Cowlitz County Assessor reports. The building comes with more than 20 classrooms, office spaces, a lunchroom and a library, Three Rivers states.
If the deal goes through, Three Rivers says the school wants to get Cowlitz County approval to build a new gym, but will need to fundraise to cover expenses. The facility will also provide other amenities.
“Not only will this facility provide space for future growth, but it will allow our middle and high school students to enjoy beautiful outdoor spaces with room for agriculture projects, an athletics field, and (once remodeled) additional specialized classroom spaces,” Three Rivers says in the press release.
Sydney Brown
Reporter
Sydney Brown started at The Daily News in March 2022 covering education and environmental issues in Cowlitz County. She has a degree in multimedia journalism from Washington State University's Edward R. Murrow College of Communication.
