Auction will help clear out old Southeast High

The former Wichita Southeast High School soon will be converted into administrative offices for the Wichita school district.

As part of that process, the district is unloading thousands of surplus items next week at a public auction at the school.

The auction starts at 9 a.m. Thursday at the former Southeast High, 903 S. Edgemoor. McCurdy Auction of Wichita will conduct the sale and is promoting it online.

The list of items being auctioned includes automotive parts, woodworking tools, welding equipment, school furniture, electronics and more.

Many of the items are leftovers from career and technical education programs at the old school, including automotive repair and welding programs, said district spokeswoman Susan Arensman.

The list of automotive items includes a Ford V-8 engine, a Chrysler 3-liter V-6 engine, carburetors, cylinder heads, crank shafts, flywheels, pistons, gas tanks, intake manifolds and transmission lifts.

Among the welding and woodworking items are casting tools, forging tables, band saws, belt sanders, sheet metal presses and tool kits.

The auction also features school furniture and classroom items such as desks, chairs, bookshelves, cabinets, computer carts, board games and music stands.

The state’s largest school district tries to unload surplus items about once a quarter. Proceeds from the sales go into the district’s capital outlay fund, which finances building maintenance and improvements.

“It’s good to see that when the school district doesn’t have a use for something anymore, they can convert that back into funds to put back into the system,” said Megan McCurdy Niedens of McCurdy Auction.

“We have had very good turnouts, good outcomes. Overall, it’s been a good thing for the school district.”

Previous auctions have included early walk-throughs during which district employees could claim items. The classroom items in the Southeast auction are left over from previous auctions – unclaimed by employees – so there is no early walk-through scheduled, Arensman said.

McCurdy will hold a preview of auction items from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday. Registration begins at 8 a.m. Thursday, and the auction will start at 9 a.m.

For more information and a complete list of items being auctioned – including photos of many of the items – go to www.mccurdyauction.com.

This story was originally published March 5, 2017 at 5:30 PM with the headline "Auction will help clear out old Southeast High."