Task force to review Claxton school sale
Anderson County Schools hopes to sell part of the current Claxton Elementary School, shown here, to help pay for a new one. (photo:Ben Pounds )
Commissioners are also expected to vote on the task force’s membership at a meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday, May 18.
The group would develop a request for proposals, or RFP, outlining how the county will evaluate offers to purchase the property.
The school is at 2218 Clinton Highway.
Anderson County Schools plans to replace it with a new facility at 105 Fellowship Lane, which is currently under construction.
During a work session Monday, May 4, Director of Schools Tim Parrott told school and county officials that the existing building has safety concerns and other issues related to its age.
To help pay for the new school, the system hopes to sell the current site for an estimated $4 million to offset construction costs.
“Come January, there’s a bill that needs to be paid, and we’re going to need money to pay it,” Parrott said.
Parrott said the system could sell the property to the highest bidder, but favors issuing an RFP so officials can consider how buyers plan to use the land.
Mayor Terry Frank said the task force will need to consult with Law Director James Brooks about how much it can restrict future uses of the property. She added that the group will also discuss how to score proposals.
“I think the community doesn’t want something that’s going to sit there and just dilapidate and sit there as a vacant school in the community,” Frank said, adding that she does not want to see the building boarded up.
At the meeting, Frank said she prefers a use that would generate sales tax revenue.
Parrott mentioned the possibility of emergency medical service providers using the site.
At a previous meeting, Commissioner Tracy Wandell said the Department of Energy could use the site for a training center.
Board of Education Chairman Scott Gillenwaters said certain uses, such as vape shops, would be inappropriate because of proximity to the new school.
Brooks said the RFP could address how much of the property the school system intends to sell.
Wandell previously proposed keeping the school’s gymnasium as a community center, although that idea was not discussed at the work session.
