The Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Board of Education is taking a closer look at the future of the Sugarcreek Elementary campus in downtown Bellbrook.
The district is not currently using, and does not anticipate using these buildings for district students in the future. The campus is made up of five total buildings – a three-story school building, a one-story school building, the old bus barn and a garage with the total size being 8.41 acres, which is located in a flood plain.
“What we are doing right now is taking a look at our facilities and laying out the facts and then we are letting the community have its say in what people think should happen, so we are inviting them to come out and let their thoughts be known,” Superintendent Dr. Doug Cozad said. “We see this as following the District Goals we laid out for ourselves.”
Facilities are one of the four goals the Board and District set as part of the 2023-26 plan, adopted October 26, 2023.
The plan includes:- Creating a 7-year Master Facilities plan
- Explore the feasibility of replacing, repairing, building, and/or divesting of buildings and grounds infrastructure, and anticipating both short-term and long-term needs
- Examining enrollment trends
The Board heard a presentation from Cozad and Manager of Business Jeff Eckley at the October meeting, providing information on the uses of the building, current expenses and possible expenses over the next five years on the building and the legal possibilities of what can be done with the building if it decides to divest it.
“We looked at enrollment trends over the past 20 years, six years, and three years and based on these trends, the district does not anticipate large enrollment increases in the near future,” Cozad said. “We do not see these buildings as a part of the district’s future vision of educating students. The cost of updating this building to keep it relevant to today’s educational standards would be astronomical.”
It is important to note that the sale of real estate owned by a school district is governed by the Ohio Revised Code.
The law states that if the property is worth more than $10,000, the Board must follow a roughly defined statutory process. If there are no eligible community schools (there are none in the district) seeking the real estate, the Board may:
- Sell the property at a public auction;
- Sell the property to a government entity, college, or charter school;
- Sell the property in an ordinary private sale IF at least one public auction has failed to secure a buyer;
- Trade the property for other real estate the Board needs; or
- Donate the property to an eligible non-profit (if the value is less than $2,500).
The district currently is spending a little over $40,000 per year and intends to put actions in place for next school year that will lighten the financial burden of the property. However, the possible costs of major items such as roofs, HVAC, and asphalt could be well over $500,000 in the next five years.
The Board gathered feedback from tenants and local government entities at the December 12 board meeting. The District will be holding two Coffee Chats to allow community members to provide thoughts in a more casual atmosphere and will provide time during the January 25 Board of Education meeting for those who are willing to come and discuss.
The Board anticipates having serious conversations starting in February about what the future is for this property.