FAYETVILLE — The school board hopes to select a buyer for the adult education center, formerly Jefferson Elementary School, by November.

Deputy Superintendent Megan Duncan presented a proposed timeline for the building’s sale at a school board meeting on Thursday.

Board members voted 6 to 1 to sell the building last month. Board member Keaton Smith voted against the sale, advocating that the building be kept and converted into a middle school or junior high school.

Board members also discussed solutions that prioritize buyers who want to preserve the building’s character or use it in the community.

Jefferson is valued at $1.3 million in 2021 and $1.9 million in 2022, Duncan reported in July. The 41,886-square-foot school he built in 1930 and closed in May 2006. Located on 4 acres.

The school’s 324 students were given the choice of attending primary school in Washington or Owl Creek. It has been used as an adult education center ever since.

Duncan said the board plans to meet with city officials during a Zoom work session on Sept. 7 to discuss development efforts in southern Fayetteville and the city’s planned bond initiatives.

Duncan said school administrators selected CBRE’s David Erstine as the building’s real estate agent. The board can work with her Erstine to develop the list based on feedback and information received from the city, she said. They could also discuss what they want from potential buyers and put together a wish list, she said.

The listing is expected to be approved at a September 22 school board meeting so the building can be listed for potential buyers, Duncan said. . Erstine will give tours of the building and collect suggestions, Duncan said.

During a working session before the school board meeting on November 17, Erstine will present the purchaser’s proposals to board members, Duncan said. The board will have the opportunity to select and vote on the buyer at the board meeting, she said.

The school board doesn’t intend to define what the building will be or be too restrictive in its offerings, but it has an opportunity to be thoughtful and cautious about its decisions, said board chairman Nika Weitzman. rice field.

“We have an opportunity to reflect on that and consider what the city wants to do with that part of town,” she said.

The school’s attorney, Mary Claire Hyatt, said the board didn’t have to select the best offer, but rather the fair market offer. She suggested using a resolution outlining how the board will prioritize proposals. For example, the board may decide to prioritize buyers planning to renovate a building or non-commercial buyers, she said. That resolution would show why the board is open to lower proposals, she said.

The resolution allows the school board to make responsible decisions, but does not make it a “very restrictive” process for the purchaser.

Weitzman said superintendent John L. Colbert will update the board with plans for where the adult education center will be relocated at its September meeting.

Other options

At its July and August meetings, the school board considered options to keep the building and convert it into an elementary, middle, or junior high school, but concluded that it would not be cost-effective.

Duncan said it would cost an estimated $17.8 million to transform the building into a fourth grade kindergarten. The building has her 19 classrooms and can accommodate up to 300 students, she said. Renovations are required to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and create a larger kitchen, offices for nurses and counselors, and workrooms for teachers.

Duncan said the Arkansas Department of Elementary and Secondary Education recommends that new elementary schools serve a minimum of 500 students and have at least 56,594 square feet. Building a new elementary school of that size will cost an estimated $22.8 million, she said.

Looking at the cost breakdown, it would cost about $59,500 per student to restore Jefferson to serve 300 students, compared to $59,500 to build a school to serve 500 students. , costs $45,500 per student.

Duncan says a new elementary school needs at least 13 acres, and Jefferson recommends 4 acres. Parking, safe areas for bus drop-off and boarding, and walkability are also issues, she said.

The former Jefferson Elementary School is now used as the adult education center for the Fayetteville School District. The school board hopes to list the buildings to put up for sale next month and select proposals by November. (Janelle Jessen/NWA Democrat-Gazette).