By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
The Hays school board decided to delay moving forward on selling land adjacent to Hays Middle School until it can obtain an appraisal.
The board is considering selling 7.23 acres of district-owned property at 201 W. 29th St., north of the current Hays Middle School football field, through a sealed bid process.
The board plans to accept sealed bids for the property with the right to refuse any bids it receives. The proceeds from the sale of the property would be allocated to the capital outlay fund.
The board was scheduled to vote on the sale on Monday, but Allen Park, board member, said he wanted to obtain an appraisal, which would cost about $1,350.
The district already has four comparable sales to review.
Those comparable lots sold for between $1.72 and $2.41 per square foot.
The property closest in size to the middle school property was at 1201 E. 33rd St. This property is zoned for residential multifamily use. It consists of 7.71 acres (335,412 square feet). This property sold on October 20, 2020, for $577,500, which calculates to $1.72 per square foot.
Board Vice President Ken Brooks said he did not believe the appraisal was necessary and considered it a waste of money.
The board ultimately voted to move forward with the appraisal on a vote of 5-1, with Brooks voting against. Board member Jayme Goetz was absent.
Hays Middle School projects
The board approved a $68,250 bid from Vitztum Commercial Flooring for flooring at Hays Middle School for the cafeteria serving area and the band and vocal rooms.
The board also approved a bid for $71,086 from Nex-Tech for interior door locks, including hardware, installation and configuration for Hays Middle School.
Grants
Superintendent Ron Wilson informed the board he had successfully applied for and received two grants to reimburse the district for upgrades to the high school's tennis courts.
The district received $140,000 from the United States Tennis Association and $14,000 from the Missouri Valley Tennis Association, totaling $154,000. The money will be deposited into the capital outlay fund.
Board member Ruth Ruder thanked Wilson for his efforts and said the district should consider hiring a grant writer next year.