ALTON - The Alton Community Unit School District #11 Board of Education rejected all bids for the McKinley School building during the Board’s regular meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023.
The McKinley School building has not been occupied by the school district for a few years. Kreative Kids Learning Center previously occupied the building but relocated last year. The district decided to sell the building and “has received several inquiries so far from prospective bidders regarding McKinley School,” said Superintendent Dr. Kristie Baumgartner in an email.
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The district opened sealed bids on Nov. 21, 2023. During their meeting, they moved into a closed session to “discuss setting of a price for sale or lease of property owned by the public body,” according to the meeting agenda. The Board then resumed open session and voted to reject all bids.
“The proposed motion is that the Board of Education refuse and reject all bids received during the sealed bid process for McKinley School, located at 121 W. Elm Street in Alton, as per the Board’s approved resolution,” said Christina Milien, Board Vice President.
The Board voted unanimously in favor of this motion. Board President David Lauschke was absent. This was a change from the agenda, which had scheduled an “approval to accept the bid for McKinley School.”
Baumgartner noted that anyone who is interested in the school or wants more information about the bidding process can call (618) 433-7820.
“Since Kreative Kids moved out of McKinley last year, it is not being used,” Baumgartner added. “Therefore, it's no longer viable for the District to continue paying utilities and maintaining the school since there are no plans to use it for school-related purposes in the future. We are hoping that a new buyer can repurpose the school into something beneficial and meaningful for our communities since the building itself holds some very significant history.”
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