CCSB Seeks Waiver To Sell Campus at New Edinburg

RISON - The Cleveland County School Board unanimously approved Superintendent Jerrod Williams' suggestion to seek a waiver from the Arkansas Department of Education that will allow the district to "liquidate" the old New Edinburg school campus.Williams made the suggestion in what was his final regular monthly school board meeting Monday night."It is a huge liability to the school district," Williams told the board in reference to deteriorating conditions at the New Edinburg campus.The campus, according to Williams, consists of three buildings: the school building, the gym and a metal building he described as a garage. He said both the school and gym have gotten to the point that they need to be torn down, but he felt the garage could still be used.During the September 2023 school board meeting, Williams told the board that he made an unannounced visit to the New Edinburg campus to assess the condition of the property. While the grounds were neatly mowed, he said he found the buildings unlocked and in disrepair. He also noted that he was surprised that find a mattress inside one of the rooms at the school that appeared as though someone was living there.Williams reported then that the former Kingsland School District had agreed to lease the school building in 1991 to serve as a community center. He said no one associated with that group could be found, and the board voted in September to terminate that lease.There were some questions about the legal ownership of the property during that meeting, but Williams said Monday night that the district owns the property.Williams' suggestion to the board was that the district sell the property as a whole. However, board member Sheila Towery of New Edinburg asked if the board would be willing to sell the garage to the Re-Newing Edinburg community development group. She said Re-New-ing Edinburg is using the building to store Christmas lights. While no firm decision was made Mon...