Nixa Public Schools to purchase its Early Childhood Center

Nixa Public Schools entered an agreement with the developer of its Early Childhood Center to buy the building.

Through the deal, the Nixa district will purchase the over 23,000-square-foot building for $900,000 in June 2020 from developer Curtis Jared. As the 301 S. Main St. building has a declared value of $8.5 million, Jared is delivering the remainder as a charitable donation, according to a news release.

The district entered a five-year lease deal for the 2014-built center, with reimbursements from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, according to Springfield Business Journal archives. The district will lease the building for another year until the purchase.

“When Nixa embarked on this journey five years ago, we wanted to provide an amazing facility for our early childhood students,” Superintendent Gearl Loden said in the release. “We have been able to do that and are excited to have this donation from Curtis Jared.

“This agreement allows the district to own a facility that will allow students to learn in for many years to come.”

Early Childhood Center Principal Lara Wilbur said the student body at the school has grown to more than 140 students.

“We have been able to provide specialized programs for both regular education students and students with special education needs so they are fully prepared for the K-12 education that is on the horizon for them,” she said in the release.