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Board publishes criteria for reuse of LaTorte and Mount Holly Springs properties; public proposals invited
Summary
The Carlisle Area School District board published evaluation criteria Thursday for proposals to reuse LaTorte and Mount Holly Springs school properties if those buildings are closed.
The Carlisle Area School District board on Thursday reviewed and made public the criteria it will use to evaluate proposals for reuse of school properties should the district close LaTorte and Mount Holly Springs buildings.
Board president Colleen Bussard said the board’s priorities include ensuring future uses are “viable for the communities” that host the properties, do not impose ongoing costs on taxpayers, and preserve community value. She said the board committed that “the buildings are not going to sit empty” and that proposals should demonstrate how a property would benefit the community while maintaining fiscal responsibility to district taxpayers.
The board asked that proposals include plans for continued community use where appropriate and emphasized that any transfer or partnership would be evaluated against the district’s criteria, including minimizing taxpayer cost and ensuring long-term stewardship of facilities and athletic fields. Members discussed that Mount Holly Springs and LaTorte parcels include athletic fields and other outdoor assets that are important to local recreation; the board said those assets will be considered in any proposal review.
Board members and a number of community members who have been organizing locally said they are preparing proposals. One board member reported work with Mount Holly Springs officials and college students to help develop a local reuse plan and encouraged the municipality to submit a formal proposal. The district also said administrative staff and the solicitor will guide the formal process, and that proposals will be evaluated publicly and against written criteria the board published during the meeting.
What’s next: the district will post the property maps and the criteria in its agenda manager so prospective partners and community organizations can prepare proposals. The board indicated it will require written proposals, will evaluate them under the published criteria, and will not transfer properties without a formal process and board approval.
