Butler Area School District moves forward with sale of former middle school
Butler Area School District filed a petition to the Court of Common Pleas on Friday, Dec. 20, to move forward with the process of selling the former middle school.
The building has been out of use since the end of the 2021-22 school year. Heather Bonzo, the school district’s director of finance, said in October the building still accrues an annual utility cost of around $197,000.
Superintendent Brian White said the building also serves as a major liability if repairs become necessary.
“The longer it sits there, the more likely some trouble happens,” White said.
At the October school board meeting, the board voted to move forward with drafting an official sale agreement after Dennis Tiche, a prospective buyer, came forth.
Tiche offered the district $115,000 for the building to be used for “light industrial purposes,” according to White.
At the November school board meeting, a second bidder approached the school board with an undisclosed, but competitive, offer. The board voted to request a public hearing to allow all offers to be heard.
White said, as of now, four total parties of interest have approached the school with offers on the building. Until the public hearing is scheduled, the parties’ names and offer amounts will remain undisclosed.
According to White, at least two other interested parties have briefly expressed plans for the building if purchased. One buyer mentioned the idea of turning the building into a self-storage facility.
The district solicitor scheduled two independent appraisals of the building, which have since been completed. Now, the board must wait for the public hearing to be scheduled.
