High School Auction Already Attracting Potential Bidders
Stephen Adams, of Kittanning Township, tests out some of the science equipment that will be for auction this Saturday at the former-Kittanning Senior High.
by Jonathan Weaver
Hundreds of former-Kittanning Senior High yearbooks, desks and equipment will get a new home this weekend.
Trash cans and filing cabinets filled the former cafeteria, printers and computer monitors lined the front hallway and hundreds of red lockers hung open during a preview of all the items that will be sold during this weekend’s auction at the closed school.
Julie Dunmire, an auctioneer since 2009, expected hundreds of local residents to be interested in the equipment and school memorabilia – such as the various Kit-Han-Nee senior high and junior high yearbooks from 1957 through 2013 – Saturday morning.
“We expect maybe 250 people (Saturday),” Dunmire said. “The Ford City auction really surprised me – I’ll bet ya at one time there were more than 800 people in the building.
“A lot of people graduated (from Kittanning Senior High too) so the crowd could go upwards of 300 - I wouldn’t be surprised.”
Dunmire, who is aided by 10 friends and family from the Saltsburg area, said there aren’t as many wood/metal shop items for auction as there were in Ford City, and many items were taken from Kittanning Senior High to the new-Armstrong Junior-Senior High in Manor Township, but there are more items than the middle school auction.
“It seems like we have an overabundance of scientific items,” Dunmire said. “There are a lot of great things available at these school auctions for people to take advantage of.”
About 100 people already pre-registered for the auction.
Jake McAfoose, a union ironworker from Ford City, pre-registered for the auction yesterday with girlfriend Chelsea Relich – also of Ford City.
“I just plan on looking. I went to the (auctions at Ford City High and Kittanning Junior High), and I’m just coming to this one to see if there’s anything we need or any deals,” McAfoose said.
McAfoose bought some lockers from Ford City High – his alma mater – and Kittanning Junior High (which he re-sold), as well as a shelf with supplies on it.
It will also be the third local auction for Stephen Adams, of Kittanning Township.
The items available Saturday are directly in line with what Adams - a sixth-grade science and social studies teacher in the Seneca Valley school district – is looking for.
“Maybe looking to makeover my room a little bit,” Adams said.
Adams graduated from the former-Elderton High School in 1995.
Grace Christian School Principal Darlene Edwards said the West Kittanning school’s growing student population has led directors to consider some new equipment – if they can find the space.
“I got a lot of items (including bulletin boards, chairs and lockers) at the last auction, but the problem is we don’t have any place to store it,” Edwards said. “We haven’t decided whether to finish the basement or build out.
“But, we increased by 20 students this year – so I need space.”
Linda Slapinski helped Dunmire register interested buyers Wednesday. Slapinski started as the auction service’s clerk about three years ago – after being an
auction-goer herself.
“You get to see a lot of different things. And, it’s amazing what prices go out the door – some things you wouldn’t think is anything but people will bid a lot on and then other expensive items go for cheap,” Slapinski said. “You never know what’s going to happen.”
All items being sold are sold as-is. Payment is expected on the day of sale.
While the school closed following the Class of 2015’s indoor graduation ceremony, Fourth Economy consultants said last month that the 8.5-acre property could be repurposed into housing, retail or office space.
But, Saturday’s auction isn’t expected to hurt any resale value.
“I couldn’t imagine; really, I couldn’t,” Dunmire said. “It’s like buying a house that has a washer and dryer – would you not buy a house because it doesn’t have a washer and dryer? Those are small items, and usually when people re-purpose, they redo walls and things anyhow. I don’t think the lockers make a different here-or-there.”
Saturday’s auction begins at 10AM.
While many classrooms were dark and bare – and others like Jeff Choncek’s former Algebra classroom was filled with more than a dozen long desks - the blackboard in Doug Flanders’ former Algebra classroom still had messages from the last day of school – including “Bye KHS”.
Auctioneer Julie Dunmire helps James McAfoose during the pre-registration process Wednesday afternoon. McAfoose, of Ford City, also attended and won bids at the Ford City High and Kittanning Junior High auctions.
Armstrong School District, Local News | jweaver November 12, 2015
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