Community asks board to explain plans for Waterloo property as district staff cites appraisal

Community members urged the Lebanon Community School Board to give residents more information before deciding the future of the district's Waterloo property, which staff said has long been used for storage and vocational shop space.

"I pulled the records for it, and it was given to the Lebanon Community School," said Rick Alexander, a local resident who spoke during public comment, asking whether charter schools would have to buy, rent or receive the property for free. District staff described the parcel as assessed and recommended the board consider whether to "explore" selling or relocating programs tied to the site.

In the presentation, staff said the property had been used for storage and wood shop functions and that a market assessment recommended a listing price of "400 to 500,000 for the main property, and there's an additional portion of the property that's approximately 100 to 150,000," according to the district's finance director.

Board members asked for records of any donation agreement and whether the district has obligations tied to the gift. A board member reported checking with the county assessor, who listed "Lebanon Community Schools" as the owner and said the parcel was tax‑exempt beginning in 2018. Staff told the board they had searched archives but had not located a written donation agreement and recommended further exploration before any decision.

The board did not take action on the property at the meeting, but members said they would include the topic in upcoming budget and facilities planning and that a work session will be scheduled to review capital priorities and gather additional documentation.