News Release

Contacts

Tipton Mayor Adrian Arnoldy

785-373- 5685

Community Development Director- Murray McGee

785-738-2717

Kevin Richey Tipton Academy 435-628-7015

Tipton Sells Civic Center to Utah Company

The Tipton City Council is pleased to announce they have sold the Tipton Civic Center to Markay Specialty Schools of St. George, Utah. The owner of the company, Kevin Richey plans to convert the former elementary school building in Tipton, KS into a school for troubled teens and operate under the name Tipton Academy.

Richey has told the city he plans to employ up to 40 people when in full operation. The school will operate year round, 24 hours per day, 7 days a week. The students will be boys 12 to 18 years old. The facility will be licensed by the state of Kansas. It will be a secure facility and the boys will be housed inside the school building.

The school was sold on e-Bay with the assistance of Midwest E-Services in Salina and with the help of Mitchell County Community Development. Murray McGee, director of Community Development fielded questions from over a dozen parties interested in the former school building. He also assisted the city council reviewing business plans and conducting background checks on prospective businesses interested in purchasing the building. McGee said, "We wanted to find something that was the best fit for the community and for the business."

Tipton Mayor Adrian Arnoldy said, "We think this will be a big boost for our community. It will employ a lot of people and they will need services from our neighboring communities as well."

Tipton is a community of approximately 243 people located in southwestern Mitchell County.