UPDATE: For sale: District seeks worth of Seventh Street school

By Tom Davidson
Herald Staff Writer

SHARPSVILLE June 17, 2009 10:27 pm

— Get out your wallet or pick up your telephone: Seventh Street Elementary School is officially for sale in Sharpsville.

Sharpsville School Board members Wednesday agreed to advertise and market the four-decade-old building — with the caveat that nothing’s set in stone.

The move is being made to gather information to see if selling the former school would be in the district’s best interest, school board President David DeForest said.
“I’m really torn about this,” he said.
Others are sure to be too. Board member John Napotik is encouraging residents in the district to come forward with what they think about the issue.
“I would like to know what the public thinks,” Napotnik said.
Superintendent Mark Ferrara said the move to market the building will provide details such as if anyone’s interested and if so how much they are willing to pay for it.
The issue came up because of future maintenance concerns with the building — which dates to the 1960s — including its roof, boiler system, and general upkeep, Ferrara said. It also hasn’t been used as a school since Sharpsville Elementary opened in 2001.
It’s now used as administrative offices for the district. Mercer County Head Start, a daycare center and Midwestern Intermediate IV also lease space in the building.
“We’re just putting it out there (on the market) to see what we can get,” board member Gerard Hanley said.
Even if an interested buyer is found the building has to be sold after bids are sought and a public hearing is held, Ferrara said.
The action to market the building doesn’t commit the district to anything.
Entertaining offers will provide people with details — like a potential sales price — so they can make an informed decision, Ferrara said.
“We need to do our homework,” he said. “This will get word to the public that we’re serious in see what options there are.”
As it may become a hot-button issue, DeForest said he’d be interested in researching whether a referendum vote could be held to decide the issue, much like the one held a few years ago in the borough when voters chose not to sell the water plant.
Interested parties should call the administrative offices of the school at 724-962-7874.