A Moses Lake school that had shut down for over a year to make repairs to the building is reopening to students.  

Litigation against the school’s Richland-based contractor is still pending.  

Moses Lake School District’s Groff Elementary School is welcoming students back for the 2026-27 school year after an 18-month closure.  

The school originally cost $18 million to build and first welcomed students in the 2021-22 school year. Soon after, various problems at the school were reported, including electrical shocks, gaps between boards in the gym floor, a defective roof leading to water intrusion, and more.  

The issues led Moses Lake School District to shut down the elementary school in spring 2025, then file a lawsuit. 

The school district first sued Richland-based Fowler General Construction, along with Chicago-based Western Surety Company, in the spring of 2025. In the fall, the district also sued Design West Architects. The architect firm recently agreed to pay $1.85 million to the school district to help cover the cost of fixing problems with the building as part of a settlement.  

While litigation is still ongoing, Groff Elementary is ready to open its doors to students and staff once more.  

Since its closure, about $16.5 million in repairs have been made, including structural corrections, HVAC repairs and replacement, electrical system repairs, gym floor repairs, concrete and stairway repairs, sidewalk and drainage repairs, and exterior repairs and landscaping.  

Classes for Groff students were held at other elementary schools in the district during that time. 

The community has been invited to attend a ribbon cutting and a tour of the repaired building at 7 p.m. Aug. 31 at 1501 S. Moses Lake Ave.  

Students in first through fifth grade will return on Sept. 2, while kindergarten students will return Sept. 8 and 9. The school is home to more than 400 students and staff.