By SEAN BOSTON
Hutch Post
MCPHERSON, Kan. — Work to address drainage problems at McPherson High School and replace the Roundhouse floor destroyed by June flooding moved forward Monday night after the USD 418 Board of Education voted unanimously to approve key projects.
By a 5-0 vote, the board authorized construction of an expanded detention pond, temporary drainage improvements, and initial work on a new gym floor, including concrete and electrical installation. The hardwood installation could be delayed until spring if a temporary surface can be secured.
“We want to make sure we can confidently invest in our facility while knowing that we can keep floodwaters out,” Superintendent Shiloh Vincent told the board. “Ultimately, as part of the bidding process, it will be the contractor’s responsibility to provide temporary flood mitigation.”
Board member Chelsea Busch suggested exploring a portable floor system through Kingdom Courts, a Kansas company that recently outfitted another school with a temporary surface. “It does get our athletes and our gym classes back into the Roundhouse,” Busch said. “We do have the ability to do long-term, but this could get everybody back in the space.”
Engineers from incite Design Studio and Kaw Valley Civil Engineering told the board the detention pond will be nearly tripled in size, increasing storage from about 16,000 cubic feet to nearly 40,000. Duane Cash of incite said problems were also found with an existing drainage pipe near the welding shop.
“The capacity of a 15-inch pipe was maybe 30 percent effective because of sediment at the bottom of the pond, which caused flow issues,” Cash said. “We also believe the pipe has settled over time. The redesign will put it back into shape at the right elevations with the right protections.”
Vincent added that engineers believe the upgrades would have protected the facility during this summer’s storms. “Viewed as a 24-hour event, the June 17 rainfall was a 50-year storm, and the following day was more typical. Our experts believe the expanded pond would have been sufficient to handle both,” he said.
Prior to the board’s vote, McPherson High senior volleyball player Elle Polson addressed the board, voicing frustration over a lack of communication. “We really don’t know what’s happening,” Polson said. “We’re getting information through a grapevine, but we haven’t heard from anybody really what exactly is happening and what the steps are from here.” She also worried the delay could cost the team a chance to host a sub-state tournament.
The June and July storms were classified as extraordinary, one a 200-year event, followed by 100-year and 50-year storms. Engineers confirmed that the high school’s new track and field complex, completed in 2022, did not contribute to the flooding. In fact, they found it may help slow runoff before it reaches the floodway.
District staff have kept the Roundhouse functional through subsequent rains with pumps, sandbags and round-the-clock monitoring. “We’ve been on call 24/7 lately, but I believe we’re at a point where we can remove water in a way that helps us,” Bill Froese, director of operations with USD 418 said. “With the expanded pond and all three pumps working to their design level, we’ll be in really good shape.”