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Farmersville residents urge Valley View board to follow through on junior high demolition pledge
Summary
At Monday’s organizational meeting, a representative of the Citizens of Farmersville urged the Valley View Local Board of Education to honor a 2020 bond promise to fund abatement and demolition of the Farmersville junior high, saying funds have been shifted and asking the board to prioritize demolition funding.
Randy Alford, a member of the Citizens of Farmersville committee, told the Valley View Local Board of Education on Monday that the district has not followed through on a promise to pay for abatement and demolition of the Farmersville junior high building included in the district’s 2020 bond.
“The minutes show that those additional spendings are well over $2,000,000,” Alford said, urging board members to be financially conservative and to keep the demolition commitment to residents who voted for the bond. He said committee members have attended board meetings for a year and were told by President Rudd that the demolition would be a top priority.
Alford said the committee was told previously the district’s attorney had said the district is not currently in a financial position to cover demolition and abatement costs after funds were reallocated to construction to address cost increases. “It was reported to our committee after a meeting with our village mayor and fellow citizen John Shade that the school district attorney stated that the district is not in financial shape at this time to pay for those demolition and abatement costs,” he said.
Board members acknowledged the concern and described ongoing efforts to seek outside funding, including grant applications. One board member said asbestos remediation is the immediate priority before demolition and that the district is pursuing grant support to avoid using general fund dollars.
Board members stressed limits on what the district can commit to outright and described potential mechanisms—such as working with the village or placing conditions on a future transfer—to prevent the building from becoming an ongoing community burden. “If the day ever comes…that I feel like I need something in writing from the Valley View Athletic Booster, something has gone very awry,” a board member said, describing why the board seeks written assurances before relying on promised donations.
The board did not adopt a separate motion on the Farmersville building during the public comment portion; members described active grant work and said they would continue pursuing remediation and demolition funding but did not provide a firm timeline.
What’s next: Board members said they will continue pursuing Brownfield and demolition grants and will report progress to the public as grant applications advance.
