At the Monday, March 18 Rushford-Peterson School Board meeting, Superintendent Chuck Ehler brought the board up to speed on the pending sale of the former R-P Middle School in Peterson. Last month, the board voted 6:1 to approve the sale of the facility to the Maplewood Group, represented by Roger Anderson. The decision came with reluctance following one sale go-round with the group already, which was canceled late last year.
Last August, the group had agreed to purchase the facility for $115,000, planning to use it as an aviation center, running two different programs from the location: an Airframe and Powerplant license certification program for aviation mechanics and a pilot’s license flight school. Following title and financial issues, the board imposed a December 20, 2018, deadline for a purchase agreement, but the group was unable to make the deadline.
The district placed a new request for bids in January and the winning bidder selected in February. The Maplewood Group was the again the high bidder, but at a drastically reduced purchase amount from the previous bid at just $40,000. Several on the board expressed concern and frustration with the sale. Contingencies were placed on the new sale including immediate payment of $3,000 in penalty fees and exclusion of any kind of timeline extension.
Ehler indicated to the board at the March 18 meeting that a purchase agreement was drafted and signed. March 22 was the deadline for the Maplewood Group to secure financing. Ehler indicated he would update the board via email on the status.
Another party did view the site, but withdrew their consideration after indicating they couldn’t generate the cash flow needed.
In other news, the board approved the retirement of three teachers: Patty McAllister (second grade), Cheri Vix (high school special education), and Jim Reinhardt (high school math). Both McAllister and Vix are taking advantage of early retirement incentive packages. Reinhardt retired from the district initially in 2007, but was hired back, teaching just one to two classes a day. His retirement this time is permanent.
In his monthly report, Superintendent Ehler discussed the redevelopment of former elementary building in Rushford. Facilities Task Force and Board Directors Chris Grindland and Joyce Iverson, along with Ehler, met with representatives from the City of Rushford March 14 to discuss options. According to Ehler, the city has tendered an offer for the purchase the building for $1.
“I think it would be prudent to put out Request for Proposals (RFP),” noted Ehler. “I’m looking for a consensus from the board regarding proper way to proceed.”
Iverson suggested the RFPs should include conditional language that the developer with the city to complete the project and include evidence of successful past development projects. “They have the tools to see it gets completed. That’s the bottom line. It has to add value,” said Iverson.
Board Chairman John Linder agreed the developer and city working cooperatively would be in everybody’s best interest. “It’s an option to give it to the city, but it would be interesting to see if there’s other interest. The city’s intention is to demolish the building.”
“It’s not so much that we’re rejecting what the city is proposing,” added Board Director Bonnie Prinsen. “We wanted to cast the next again to see what’s out there. I think we should emphasize to whoever comes in that we’d like them to work with the city.”
The site is not a historic landmark and was turned down in 2013 to being designated, due to too many additions. It’s unclear whether options exist to remove the elementary addition and restore the original facility would get the site to a state of being designated as a landmark. “Somebody could certainly restore it to its grandeur,” added Prinsen.
The weather has played a significant role in recent school scheduling issues. Ehler updated the board on legislative measures to provide a reprieve for school days impacted by the weather. “There’s lots of talk and opinions expressed on how to address the number of school days missed because of our wild and wacky weather,” said Ehler. He additionally noted the Federal Government is proposing a 10% reduction in education funding.
“Last week, we went two hours late due to icy conditions with travel only on hard surface roads. I want to say a note of thanks to parents for understanding,” added Ehler. “It’s been ongoing all year with the impact of weather. We are very grateful for parents’ support of our decision. Also, kudos to our drivers for knowing what areas they could safely enter and handle and not putting themselves in peril. It’s been a very challenging season for us.”
During his report, Athletic Director Dan Bieberdorf apprised the board of a substantial donation offering to the district. He indicated he was approached by a local business interested in making a donation to fund a new softball scoreboard, an estimated $9,000 cost. An additional request from R-P Alumni was made to make a tribute to late teacher and softball coach Rod Anderson who passed away last November. The board gave their blessing for Bieberdorf to continue with plans. Final details will be presented and voted on at the April meeting.
The next regularly scheduled board meeting is Monday, April 15, at 5:30 p.m., in the Forum Room. The public is encouraged to attend.
Photo by Kirsten Zoellner
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