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Bill to give cities first right to unused school properties sparks heated debate and fails to secure committee approval
Summary
SB 367, which would give cities or counties first option to receive donated unused school facilities and require third-party appraisals for fair-market value, drew lengthy debate, local examples of undervalued sales, and concerns about returning proceeds to districts; committee procedural votes indicated lack of sufficient affirmative votes at the time it was considered.
Sen. Stephanie Flowers presented SB 367 to change the priority for the disposition of unused or underutilized public school facilities so that cities or counties where the property sits would receive the first option to accept donations. The bill also would require independent third-party appraisals to establish fair market value for properties under a specified threshold.
Flowers described multiple local examples, particularly in Pine Bluff and the Dollarway…
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