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Boone County Schools approves purchase of former Kroger building for early-childhood site
Summary
The Boone County Schools board approved additional documentation to finalize purchase of 8775 U.S. Highway 42 in Union — the former Kroger building — and discussed timelines, capacity and next steps for converting it to an early-childhood and preschool facility.
The Boone County Schools Board of Education voted 4-0 to approve additional documentation for the purchase and sale agreement for 8775 U.S. Highway 42 in Union, the former Kroger building.
The district’s superintendent explained the property will be developed over a two-year construction timeline and is expected to be operational for the 2027–28 school year. “This is the final agreement to purchase the building, but there is a two-year construction timeline. I’ve been promised that it will be operational for the 2027–28 school year,” Superintendent Dr. Hauswald said.
Board members and staff said the building is intended to provide a central location for preschool and related early-childhood services countywide. Chairman Parks said Boone County has chosen to invest locally in early-childhood education and thanked the City of Union and Kroger for cooperation during negotiations. “This is one of the first large steps that our county and our citizens have chosen to move forward with to invest in what most of us would agree is the largest return on investment, early childhood education,” Chairman Parks said.
Staff clarified the building is listed on the current District Facilities Plan (DFP) with a temporary capacity figure of 300 students; the district intends to amend the DFP after the next planning cycle to increase the planned capacity to about 520 students. Dr. Hauswald said that change will occur through the district facilities planning process and is not automatic under the current DFP. He also noted parts of the facility may be usable before full build-out, but that full operations are contingent on the construction timeline.
The board’s motion to approve the additional documentation passed unanimously. Board members thanked district staff, city officials and Kroger for their roles in negotiations and noted the purchase follows about a year of work to secure a permanent early-childhood facility.
Clarifying details from the meeting: the purchase-related documents were described as the final agreement to acquire the property; the contract assumes a two-year construction timeline; the district expects the site to serve preschool and additional early-childhood services; current DFP capacity is recorded as 300 and will be amended later to a planned maximum near 520; exact funding sources for acquisition and construction were not specified during the discussion.
The board did not set a construction start date in the public discussion and identified additional steps — including DFP amendment and construction scheduling — that will follow the purchase approval. Questions about specific funding breakdowns and interim uses were left to staff for follow-up.
