DISPOSAL OF SCHOOL BOARD LAND AND/OR IMPROVEMENTS

The Board recognizes the need for long term planning and the imperative to retain any currently surplus properties for future educational uses.

The Board recognizes that declining and shifting student populations and changing facility needs may result in the need to dispose of any unused Board land or improvements by lease, sale or land exchange, easement or right of way in whole or in part.

In this policy facility means land and/or improvements. Improvements mean any building, fixture, structure or similar thing constructed or placed on the land. Disposal means sale, lease, easement, or right of way.

When disposing of land or improvements through either sale or lease, the Board will ensure that such disposal does not conflict with or detract from regular or extracurricular programming or the current or future needs of the school district. Disposals to the public shall be through a public tender or other competitive bidding process to ensure fair market value is obtained. The Board may dispose directly to a local government or community partner for an alternative community use and may consider disposal at less than fair market value.

Guiding Principles

1. No part of a facility shall be made available for rent or lease during regular school hours if it is felt that to do so would interfere with the district’s educational program being offered in the facility.
2. Consideration will be given to the current and future educational needs of the district and possible alternative uses of the facility.
3. Community use and community partnerships will be considered.
4. When the Board has decided that a facility is no longer required to serve the needs of the district and will not be required for future educational purposes, the Board shall dispose of the facility.
5. For disposal by a sale of the land or improvements or by a lease of 10 years or more, the Board will engage in broad consultation with the community and local government to determine preferred uses of the site after disposal.
6. The Board is not required to dispose of the facility through a public process if the Board proposes to dispose of the facility for an alternative community use:
   1. To a partner not-for-profit organization;
   2. To a public authority;
   3. To a person who, as part of the consideration for disposition, will exchange land for an improvement with the Board; or
   4. To an owner of adjoining land for the purpose of consolidating lands.
7. Any proposed transferee or lessee of a facility must satisfy the Board that it has the ability to meet its financial obligations to the Board and the Board must be satisfied that the disposition of the facility is at fair market value.