The School District 27 board of education approved a motion to request approval from the Minister of Education for disposal of all District-owned surplus properties.
Trustees passed the motion at the regular board meeting held Tuesday evening, Feb. 26. The recommendation came out of a finance and facilities and transportation committee meeting Feb. 11.
Trustees said the vote doesn’t mean that the surplus properties owned by the district, of which 14 have been identified, will be sold for certain. Instead, it allows staff to start the process of getting permission from the ministry so they can discussion options and make decisions down the road.
Following a review of surplus properties, interim secretary-treasurer Norine Durban and manager of facilities and transportation Alex Telford presented a list of properties at the recent finance and facilities and transportation committee meeting. Some of the surplus district-owned properties identified to sell include the McLeese Lake school and Poplar Glade school property in Williams Lake, Puntzi school and Big Creek school site in the Chilcotin and the Bridge Lake School and vacant lot in the South Cariboo.
The report also recommends the buildings be demolished at 100 Mile Jr. school to make room for a possible future school.
For a full list of properties, click here.
The district also has several properties that they are responsible for but do not own, such as the Chimney Valley school. The rural school has been closed for many years and is slated for demolition in the coming weeks.
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Last week’s report summary states the sale of district property would reduce the district’s potential liabilities and the revenue from a sale, which must go to capital projects, would increase the local capital. These capital funds would enable the district to do improvements to facilities and purchase capital equipment in the future.
Board approval is required before permission for disposal can be requested from the Ministry of Education.
The summary states that disposal of District property is typically presented at in-camera meetings of the Board, however,was presented at this open committee of the Board in the interest of transparency and in consideration of public inquiries.
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For a full list of properties visit www.sd27.bc.ca.