Reelsville school to go up for auction

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Eight years after their closure of Reelsville Elementary School, South Putnam officials have moved forward on selling the property.

During a special meeting convened Monday evening, the South Putnam School Board approved the auctioning of the school and surrounding land.

At this juncture, the Reelsville property will be separated into three parcels — the first encompasses the actual building, the second will include the baseball diamonds behind the school and the third spaces out land behind the Washington Township Volunteer Fire Department.

The board also approved utilizing the services of auctioneer Steve Vaughn of Vaughn Auctions to handle the sale. Vaughn, who was present at the meeting, stipulated that he would ask a five percent commission, and that the cost of a survey would be split between the school corporation and the buyers. He also said the closing of the sale would take place 45 days after the auction.

Corporation attorney John Zeiner said all sales were contingent on both the selling and the closing, and that a closing would have to be done before sales can be finalized.

The board also approved setting the minimum combined bid for the whole property at $40,000.

Additionally, an outside parceling of the property includes a one-and-a-half-acre donation to the fire department. Fire Chief Brent Urton attended the meeting to thank the board for its generosity. However, Urton said the fire department would like to maintain a gravel parking lot, which sits on the north side of the property, for community gatherings.

Superintendent Bruce Bernhardt, with input from Vaughn, said determining the space limits was contingent on zoning and determining road frontage, and how driveway access could be created.

Vaughn said more discussion would need to take place with the fire department, but thanked Urton for bringing the issue to his attention.

A map of the school and grounds presented at the meeting delineated arbitrary locations of the property line and the parceled-out locations. The board, Vaughn and Zeiner agreed they would be plotted more accurately before the auction.

In a call from the Banner Graphic Tuesday morning, Bernhardt said Vaughn will release an official map designating the property and parcel limits.

He also clarified that the individual parcels will be sold first, and if the combined offerings total the minimum bid, the property as a whole will then go up for purchase.

However, Vaughn also said, with confirmation by the board, that the auction parameters will also stipulate that the building itself must sell first, otherwise the other two parcels cannot move forward.

The school board will host the auction on Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 6 p.m. in the South Putnam Middle School/High School Learning Center.

No bids will be accepted prior to the sales.

The Reelsville Elementary School has not been used for educational purposes since its closure in 2011, a decision by the board that was brought on by financial stretches.

In other business at the meeting, the board also approved a newly adjusted high school athletic handbook, as well as book rentals at the elementary and middle school levels. Bernhardt said the handbook would be available online soon, and that elementary school book prices had seen an overall drop from last year.

The board also approved the following personnel report:

• Resignations: Nathan Aker, MS/HS teacher, HS football head coach, HS boys’ track head coach; Kerri McConkey, MS/HS teacher; Alexus Stancil, MS/HS part-time food service.

• Maternity leave: Lauren Clampitt, MS/HS teacher (from Aug. 7 to Dec. 1).

• New hires: Charles Sorrell, MS/HS teacher, HS football head coach, HS boys’ track head coach; John Rissler, Central Elementary Title I teacher; Cathy Ryan and Robin Austin, MS/HS part-time food service; Sandra Johnson, Central Elementary part-time food service; and Brian Gardner, middle school cross country coach.

Sorrell’s hiring as South Putnam High School’s new football coach will be covered by the Banner Graphic in a separate upcoming article.

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