Bids due on old school

Bids on the sale of Center School, and property surrounding it, are due this Thursday.

Grand Coulee Dam School District Superintendent Paul Turner said that his understanding was that three parties might be bidding on the old school. But he reminded the school board Monday night that, due to a possible conflict of interest, former superintendent Dennis Carlson is handling the details of the sale.

Turner had stated a month ago that he was taking himself out of the process because a relative of his had shown interest in bidding on the property.

The total land at the old school site amounts to just under nine acres.

The sale of the site was central to Turner’s interest in taking on the former middle school site a block away, at least for use by local students.

He told the board that some reconditioning of some of the more usable rooms is necessary if the district hopes to find tenants for the rooms.

Board Chair Joette Barry replied, “We don’t have any money for that.”

If Center School is sold, some of those funds might be available, Turner noted.

Any possible bids will be reviewed by the school board at its December meeting.

The district purchased the building and the surrounding property from Continental Land Company, which had given the property for use by the district as long as it was used for educational purposes. That use ceased when students at Center School started attending school at the new combined site in Coulee Dam.

The district paid $155,000 for the property and has another $10,000 tied up in an appraisal, which came in at $195,000.

The district needs to get at least the appraisal price, unless the board decides to accept a lesser amount.