FCB ©CLOSING A SCHOOL FACILITY:
PROCESS, SALE, LEASE
FCB ©The Board recognizes the impact closing a school has on the community, the students who attend the school being considered, the projected impact on other schools in the District, and the District.
Process:
A. Provide written notice to the parents or guardians of all students enrolled in the School District at least ten (10) days before a public meeting to discuss closing a school within the School District. The notice shall include the reasons for the proposed closure and the time and place of the meeting.
B. The governing board shall fix a time for a public meeting on the proposed closure not less than ten (10) days before voting in a public meeting to close the school. The School District Governing Board shall give notice of the time and place of the meeting.
C. At the time and place designated in the notice, the School District Governing Board shall hear reasons for or against closing the school.
The above process is required unless the Governing Board determines that a school shall be closed because it poses a danger to the health or safety of the students or employees of the school.
If it is determined the Board needs to consider closing a school facility, the Board may consult with the Department of Administration – Division of School Facilities for technical assistance and for information on the impact of closing a school. The information provided by the Division of School Facilities within the Department of Administration shall not require the Board to take or not take any action.
Decision to Sell or Lease
Following a decision to sell or lease a vacant building or partially used building, the District may not prohibit a charter school or private school from negotiating to buy or lease the property in the same manner as other potential buyers or lessees. The District shall attempt to obtain the highest possible value under current market conditions for the sale or lease of the vacant building or partially used building and may not accept an offer from a potential buyer or lessee that is less than an offer from a charter school or private school. This does not require the owner of a building to sell or lease the building or a portion of the building to a charter school, to any other school or to any other prospective buyer or tenant, except that the owner of a building may not withdraw the property from sale or lease solely because a charter school or private school is the highest bidder.
Definitions
Except as otherwise provided under A.R.S. 15-119(D), “partially used building" means a building with at least four thousand five hundred square feet (4,500 sq. ft.) of contiguous, unused space.
"Vacant building" means a building that has been vacant and unused for at least two (2) years.
Boundary Changes
The District shall follow policy and statutory requirements regarding possible boundary changes as a result of a school closure.
Adopted: November 20, 2005
LEGAL REF.:
A.R.S.
15-119
15-341
38-431.01
CROSS REF.:
DN - School Properties Disposition
JC - School Attendance Areas