Tacoma School Board heard an update on the district’s surplus properties March 11, three months after an initial facilities run-down in December.
The study session’s main focus was on what to do with the district’s largest vacant facilities - the site of the former Gray Middle School in South Tacoma, which has been vacant since January 2009, and Gault Middle School on the East Side, which has been empty since the beginning of the school year.
Gault was originally planned for use as a transitional school site for Stewart Middle School students in the next one or two years. But, a bond measure that would have paid for the construction of a new Stewart failed last spring, meaning there is now no short-term need for Gault as a swing school.
District staff advised the board to keep the Gault property as a transitional site, because they expect it will be needed down the road.
The question is what to do with the vacant building, which costs approximately $90,000 a year to maintain, in the meantime.
“We continue to need Gault as a transitional site, but in a different timeline,” Superintendent Art Jarvis said.
He noted Hunt Middle School also has potential as a swing school, as it will likely be vacant for a couple of years before the new Hunt is completed in 2015.
“We would like to talk about the conversations that have been underway since Dec. 10 and the conversations that will ensue… and ultimately the needs of the school district and its financial situation,” Jarvis said.
Jarvis added that the old Gray school, which will cost about $54,000 each year to maintain, will not be needed as a transitional building, and recommended that the district clear the property, which sits on the same site as Edison Elementary School.
“We simply cannot afford to put money into the old Gray.”
Chief Operations Officer Sam Bell noted that he has not heard of any parties interested in purchasing or leasing the Gray site at this time.
The board agreed to maintain the Gault building, and to look at creative options for using the building over the next five years or so before it will be needed as a transitional facility for students.
There has been no outside interest in occupying the old Gray site as of yet, but a South Tacoma resident stressed the importance of the historic building to the neighborhood.
“Our community does care very much about these facilities,” Bruce Peterson told the board. “Do due diligence to try to find a use for those buildings. They have a lot of history to South Tacoma.”
Board member Catherine Ushka-Hall noted she would like to see the district reach out to the community for input on what to do with both Gault and Gray in the short term.
Board member Kim Golding noted that whatever action is to be taken with Gray should happen as soon as possible.
“Whatever we’re going to do with (Gray) we need to do it quickly - it has been sitting there for too long.”
District officials have concerns with leaving school buildings vacant for too long, especially in Gray’s case, because it neighbors an active school. Vacant school buildings are perceived to attract unwanted activity in the residential neighborhoods.
The board also received updates on other surplus sites in Tacoma School District.
Camp Joshua Taylor in Key Peninsula and 15 acres at Cirque and Alameda bordering on University Place have received interest from the Key Peninsula Parks Department and the city of University Place, respectively, to acquire the land, however neither agency has any money to back their interest at the time. Both jurisdictions are seeking grant funds.
An undeveloped 8.5 acres at South 52nd and Mullen streets has recently been purchased by Conservation Futures for $1.5 million. Excess land at Blueberry Park in South Tacoma has been proposed for a trade with Metro Parks in return for a land maintenance agreement.
Smaller sites, such as a two-parcel parking lot at Edison Elementary, and the Old Willard school at South 32nd and ‘D’ streets are still available for sale or for lease.
