Jefferson BOE finalizing sale of Rock Creek school

By STACY MILLBERG - Staff Writer - smillberg@starbeacon.com
Star Beacon

Sat, May 17 2008

— ROCK CREEK — Jefferson Area Local Board of Education officials are in the process of fine-tuning the purchase agreement for the Rock Creek Elementary School building and land and will meet with Rock Creek officials next week to finalize it, said David Keep, board of education president.
The school board has agreed to sell the building to the Rock Creek Area Community Projects Board for $1 and the land the building sits on for $10,000 an acre. According to a survey of the land, the building sits on 3.44 acres, Keep said.
Many Rock Creek residents are opposed to the purchase of the building, including Mayor Beverly Martin, who has said from the beginning, the purchase will be a detriment to the village.
Keep said school board members have also expressed their concern as to whether the building will be able to be self-sufficient.
“We want to work with the community,” he said. “We expressed out reservations, but we didn’t feel it was the board’s place to determine the viability. It’s up to the community.”
The Rock Creek Area Community Projects Board has raised funds and received grants to cover the purchase of the building and property. Members have said there are already businesses interested in occupying space in the building.
Once the projects board takes possession of the building, which will not be until late summer, the Jefferson Area Local School District will be relieved of all responsibilities concerning the building, Keep said.
If the community center fails, the projects board will be responsible for demolition of the building and will lose the opportunity for the Ohio School Facilities Commission to fund 2/3 of the cost to demolish the building, Keep said.
The sales agreement will not include any loose furnishings such as desks, chairs and tables, he said.
“The district has not decided how it will dispose of those loose furnishings yet,” Keep said.
The agreement does include permanent fixtures such as lights and toilets.