By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
The Hays school board at its meeting Monday approved the purchase of property on Fifth Street to expand parking next to its transportation department building.
The cost of the property is $9,500.
The school district has owned three-quarters of the lot for many years, but there is a sliver the district did not own, Superintendent Ron Wilson told the board.
Washington school
The board approved Oct. 26 as the hearing date for the closure of Washington School.
The school board has entered into a contract with Overland Property Group to purchase the school for $500,000. The developer plans to remodel the school into apartments.
Early Childhood Connections had been located in the school, but the program was moved to its new location on 13th Street last fall. The Learning Center has been temporarily located in that building. It will move to a temporary location next semester.
The district hopes to move the Learning Center into a remodeled space at Rockwell Administration Center within the next year.
School board member Allen Park expressed several concerns about the sale. Park was the principal of Washington when it was an elementary school.
He asked for a list of investors in the Overland Property Group project. He said he wanted time to review any information presented at the hearing in October before the board votes on the sale. He also said he wanted a valuation of the property.
Bill Jeter, board attorney, said if the school board does not approve the sale of the school to Overland Property Group, it will be in breach of contract and open to a lawsuit.
Data center purchase
The board also approved a purchase for a district data center update from Eagle Technologies of Salina.
Total cost for the update will be $178,638.
Editor's note: Eagle Technologies is not affiliated with Eagle Technology Solutions or Eagle Radio of Hays.