Board authorizes process to explore sale or repurposing of vacant district properties, seeks RFPs and legal review

The School District of Beloit Board of Education voted unanimously March 4 to direct administration to pursue a formal process to evaluate sale, lease or repurposing options for four district properties and to return with recommendations and procurement options.

Properties discussed were Wright School (1003 Woodward Avenue), McNeil Middle School (1524 Frederick Street), a 0.9-acre parcel adjacent to Beloit Memorial (land at 1149 Fourth Street) and the operations building at 1430 Fourth Street, which the district is considering for lease. Superintendent Dr. Bryan Garrison told the board the district has carried vacant buildings for more than a year and that maintaining those structures creates annual operating costs.

Public commenters urged the district to carefully weigh selling versus adaptive reuse. Juan Romero, a community member, suggested repurposing for a student health-and-wellness center to provide physical and mental health services and to reduce long waits for diagnostic services. James Hoy, co-president of the Beloit Education Association, urged passage of the district referendum to avoid staff cuts and said selling property will not by itself solve the district's structural funding gap.

Board discussion focused on transparency, local participation in brokerage selection, deed restrictions and community impacts. Board members expressed differing preferences: several members pressed for an open RFP process for listing brokers and for deed restrictions to prevent uses the board would find inappropriate; others urged a timely path to reduce maintenance costs on vacant properties and secure offers that could help the district's finances.

Administration said it had brief outreach with local and regional brokers: the district had contacted Century 21 on Feb. 7; Coldwell Banker Commercial presented as a broker option at the March 4 meeting and a company representative, Bill Mears, answered board questions about sale logistics and deed restrictions. Mears advised that sellers can include deed restrictions limiting future uses and that local brokers can both list and cooperate in selling listings from other firms.

Motion and vote: Board Member Greg Schneider moved and Megan Miller seconded a motion directing administration to proceed with the process to explore sale of the Wright School property (1003 Woodward Ave), McNeil Middle School (1524 Frederick St), land at 1149 Fourth St and to pursue leasing options for the 1430 Fourth Street operations building. The motion included direction that administration reopen the broker selection process via RFP and return to the board with appraisal, recommended listing price ranges, suggested deed restrictions for board consideration and any legal guidance on contract terms. The motion passed unanimously.

Next steps: Administration will issue or reopen an RFP for listing brokers, gather appraisals and legal advice, identify appropriate deed restrictions for board consideration and report back within approximately one month with a recommended process, price ranges and proposed contract terms.

Ending: Board members emphasized both fiscal prudence and the need for transparency and community input. Several members asked administration to return with options that would allow the board to reject unsuitable offers; Dr. Garrison said administration will solicit multiple broker proposals and legal guidance before any sale or lease is executed.