History

The Moses Lake School District is proud to announce that Nikki Mackey has agreed to terms to become the Planning Principal of Vicki Groff Elementary School, effective July 1, 2020.

“Mrs. Mackey brings a great deal of experience and understanding of the Moses Lake community,” says superintendent Dr. Joshua Meek. “Groff Elementary is the premier of our newest and most efficient elementary school design and we cannot wait to have this school serve students on the east side of our community.”

Mackey is a lifelong resident of Moses Lake and a graduate of Moses Lake High School. With nearly 20 years of teaching and administrative experience with the Moses Lake School District, her talent and hard-working attitude made her a top contender for the position. Mackey has worked in many of the district’s other schools including Frontier Middle School, and Moses Lake High School, though she has currently served as the Principal at Knolls Vista Elementary for the past nine years.

Meek adds, “We are fortunate that Mrs. Mackey will continue this coming school year as the principal at Knolls Vista Elementary alongside her planning principal responsibilities.”

As a member of the planning team behind Park Orchard Elementary, and now as a member of the long-term planning committee for Groff Elementary, Mackey has participated in almost every aspect leading up to Groff’s materialization. “I am SO excited to open Groff,” says Mackey, “I’m looking forward to paving new and exciting opportunities for our students.”

June 2020 Press Release

Moses Lake School District Breaks Ground on Groff Elementary

Construction begins for completion by Fall 2021

Groff Elementary School, which will serve 500 students in grades K-5, is breaking ground on June 18, 2020. Located east of Highway 17, the school will be constructed by Richland-based Fowler General Construction and is slated for completion by August 2021.

Groff will be the first two-story elementary school building in the district and will be a prototype model for future Moses Lake elementary schools. Designed by Design West Architects, the 57,000 square-foot elementary school will host 25 classrooms– each to be equipped with state-of-the-art technology and flexible furniture. These adaptable classroom designs allow for breakout areas and dynamic configurations as well as a range of activities, learning styles, and classroom needs.

Spearheading Groff’s educational foundation as the Planning Principal is current Knolls Vista Principal, Nikki Mackey.

The groundbreaking ceremony will take place at the site of the new school 1501 S. Moses Lake Boulevard, a new road connecting S. Cougar Drive and Yonezawa Boulevard. The ceremony begins at 9 am, Thursday, June 18, 2020.

Proud School Name

Vicki I. Groff Elementary is named in honor of Vicki Groff, the ultimate example of a servant leader with over 30 years of volunteer service to the Moses Lake School District.

About Moses Lake School District

Moses Lake School District serves over 8,700 students and employs over 1,100 people in the region.

Comprised of one high school, one technical center, three middle schools, and ten elementary schools, the Moses Lake School District is committed to educational excellence. www.mlsd161.org

October 2019 Press release

Moses Lake School District announces new school, Groff Elementary
New school in growing residential area sets precedent for intentional design

Moses Lake, Washington – The future is bright for elementary students in Moses Lake as a new elementary school introduces a forward-thinking design that will set a new standard for elementary schools in the region.

At the Moses Lake School Board meeting on October 24, exciting plans were unveiled for elementary school No. 11, named Vicki I. Groff Elementary in honor of Vicki Groff. The new elementary school is scheduled to open Fall 2021 in the southeast area of Moses Lake.

Intentional school location serves a growing residential area

Groff Elementary will be built in an area with increasing demand for an elementary school, located east of Highway 17. In a wonderful partnership with the City of Moses Lake a new road, to be named “Moses Lake Boulevard” will be constructed connecting S. Cougar Drive and Yonezawa Boulevard. This area will be home to the new school and anticipated additional residential communities. The main driver in selecting this location was ensuring the school would be located away from busy roads and provide a safe walking and biking path for kids on their commute to and from school, and still be in the right geographic area.

Thoughtful school design maximizes space to meet a range of student needs

Groff Elementary will be the first two-story building in the district and will be a prototype model for future Moses Lake elementary schools. With a capacity of 500 students, Groff Elementary will have 25 total classrooms. Each classroom will boast state-of-the-art technology and flexible furniture and design to allow for breakout areas and dynamic configurations. The classroom space is designed to be adaptable to a range of activities, learning styles, and classroom needs.

Separate gymnasium, cafeteria, and auditorium mean simultaneous activities for students before and after school - allowing for maximum flexibility in how space is used. For example, a group of students can be eating lunch, while another group is having a music class and another group is in PE. The spaces can also be combined for larger school and community events as needed.

Groff Elementary will also see better security and safety for students. A new security vestibule will lock after students enter in the morning and will remain locked throughout the school day, requiring visitors to be buzzed in before checking in at the administration suite.

“This prototype design is informed by research into national trends and what students need from a space to be their most successful in school,” says Cameron Golightly of Design West Architects. Additionally, Groff Elementary will be the first elementary school in the Moses Lake School District designed and developed to meet requirements for both highly functional learning spaces and low construction costs. The Board of Directors established a target construction rate to be well below the local averages in order to protect taxpayer resources while still providing the best facilities for our students.

Creating a vision for future elementary schools

The Groff Elementary school model is a prototype model, meaning it was designed taking into consideration all existing elementary school properties in the district. Not only is this design deemed a best fit for all these locations, but the design allows students to be able to continue attending school in the current building while the new school building is under construction. Once the new building is ready, the old school will be replaced by outdoor play space and drop-off loops.

The Groff Elementary design establishes a turnkey solution for future elementary schools in the district. The design is also flexible and can be scaled for different population sizes or needs at each school. As new school bonds are passed, new elementary schools will be built on existing school sites adjacent to the current buildings utilizing this prototype design.

“This design is going to serve our community for years to come, providing our young students with a place to learn that is practical, highly functional and meets our elementary program needs. Over the past 18 months we have been actively working with expert partners internally and externally to ensure the schools we design and construct provide the most functional learning spaces and environments while being fiscally responsible.” says Dr. Joshua Meek, Superintendent of Moses Lake School District.

Proud School Name

Vicki I. Groff Elementary is named in honor of Vicki Groff, the ultimate example of a servant leader with over 30 years of volunteer service to the Moses Lake School District. A 1964 Moses Lake High School graduate, Mrs. Groff was elected to the Moses Lake School Board of Directors in 1989. She retires from the school board after serving eight terms and a 30-year career as a volunteer, leader, and voice for children in Moses Lake.

Groff Elementary will serve as a legacy to the long and generous commitment given by Mrs. Groff. In Dr. Meek’s words, “Groff Elementary is the perfect school name for our newest elementary school. Our schools are named after those who have received local or national prominence. It is impossible to think of the Moses Lake School District over the past three decades and not think of Vicki Groff.”