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Board directs staff to pursue feasibility study for unused school sites after extended discussion of G5 process
Summary
After extended debate about process and community notification under board policy G5, the board on Sept. 16 directed staff to begin procurement for a feasibility study to evaluate unused district sites (Bennion, Mary W. Jackson and Hawthorne) and to return with a clearer report of what the district will seek in a comprehensive needs assessment.
The school board directed district staff on Sept. 16 to begin the next step under district policy G5 — a feasibility assessment of unused school sites — after several board members pressed for clarity on scope, sequencing and community input.
The discussion focused on which buildings qualify as "unused" and what the G5 process requires. Staff said the district has already identified immediate district needs during earlier closed and public work (the CTE center recommendation for Riley was previously discussed); the three currently unused elementary-school properties that would be reviewed under the feasibility study are Bennion, Mary W. Jackson and Hawthorne. The board asked whether any immediate district need had been officially designated for those sites; staff said no formal board recommendation identifying one of those three as the site for a permanent district function had been made.
Board members and staff debated the sequence and scope: several board members (including Amanda Longwell and Ashley Anderson) said a comprehensive needs assessment should accompany or precede site feasibility so the board understands district-wide facilities conditions, aging issues and long-term needs before selling or repurposing sites. Staff said a feasibility study would typically include a real-estate assessment (market/reuse value), an educational-facilities assessment (suitability for repurposing) and community engagement steps.
The motion the board later approved (by roll call) directed staff to move the item to the action agenda and start the procurement process to select a partner to perform feasibility analyses for the unused parcels. The vote passed with more yes votes than no votes after discussion (recorded roll call: several members in favor, two opposed). District staff also committed to send the board a clear written list of what they expect from a comprehensive assessment so the board can edit or approve it.
Why it matters: unused school sites are public assets; decisions about repurposing, selling or retaining property have long-term implications for community access, district finances and future capacity. The G5 process (policy governing site eligibility and repurposing) prescribes community input and feasibility work before final disposition.
Key points and next steps - Sites in scope: Bennion, Mary W. Jackson and Hawthorne were identified as the unused sites to be reviewed (staff confirmed these are currently not assigned for long-term district purposes).
