A meeting planned for later this week could result in more clarity about plans to transfer ownership of the Butler Middle School.
Superintendent Dr. Brian White informed school board members that a meeting is planned for Wednesday between district administration, the non-profit Pittsburgh Gateways Corporation, Butler County, and the Community Development Corporation to discuss a way forward.
At issue is the money the district continues to pay on the facility for utilities and insurance.
“I don’t want to keep paying for [utilities and insurance],” White said. “I told Pittsburgh Gateway, the county, and now the Community Development Corporation, that we’re not willing to hold on to this for an extended period of time.”
The Community Development Corporation is now studying if renovating the existing building for reuse or demolishing the existing building and building a new structure is the better financial option.
A recommendation will be made once the analysis is complete but the district prefers to cease ownership before that.
“It looks to me that a solution is emerging for what they want to do, and how they want to do it,” White said. “We’re just not willing to wait six months on a decision. Every dollar we’re spending on [the building] is a dollar we’re not spending on a student. Our job is not economic development.”
White believes that he will be able to have an item concerning the Middle School on the agenda for the board’s meeting on February 12th.
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