These are the Key sentences in all the email sent to the ISD 709 School Board re: the Central Sale on March 22nd after news broke on Tuesday last.
Sell emails are bolded 22….. Don’t sell emails are italicized 4
CF – As a parent of school age children who will go to Ordean and then East, and also as Duluth tax payer, I think the school district should sell Central HS to Edison’s affiliated building company.
TD – I would encourage you to support the sale of Central High School to Edison. (And I do not plan on pulling my kids from ISD709 to send them to this new school. I am very happy where they currently are.
LH – The Central site is a burden to the city and school board. The money offered is needed by the school district and would provide tax revenue for the city. Come to your senses and sell that building to Edison. (Note from Harry – A charter school would not
provide significant revenue to the City)
MG – I am lifelong Duluth resident and graduate from the Duluth Public Schools, as well as from UMD. I am contacting you to voice my support for selling the vacant Central High School building.
DA2 – Do whatever is needed to make this happen. The property has sat idle for far too long. I am a retired district employee from the Secondary Tech. Center and I worked many a summer at Central High School, so I am totally familiar with the entire property. It is big and beautiful, made a wonderful school property then and now. Sell it!
JH – Why in the world would you NOT take an offer under these circumstances?? After reading several recent articles about budget short falls, repairs needed to the historic Central building and other budget concerns, it seems ludicrous that you would not consider this as a viable option.
DJ – You must sell it for the offer you have of 14.2 An educational system that needs money… this is the way to do it… without going to the taxpayers.
BW – The Board has an opportunity to sell Central after 5 years of not being able to find a buyer.
JLG – We understand that this will require the District and/or the School Board to change or make an exception to a policy prohibiting the sale to aother K-12 school. Change the policy, or make the exception.
BB – Perhaps your real estate agent hasn’t had this meeting with you (as I do when a seller doesn,t think they are getting what they want) but the purpose of this e-mail is to tell you that :You are in a position right now to take the offer that has been presented to you and alleviate yourself of the burden that is affecting the hard working citizens of the great city of Duluth. You will not take a loss!
TL – Therefore, it no longer makes fiscal sense to continue to hold on to and maintain this property, especially when there’s a $14.2 million offer on the table and the district is facing a $3.3 million budget shortfall. The sale of the Central H.S. property to Edison would help to ease some of this debt.
CF – If the board is able to change the policy about not selling Central to another school, I hoping you will vote no. I think if Edison has their High School at the Duluth Central High School site it will hurt the Duluth Public Schools especially Denfeld High School.
JW – The former Central High School site is some of the best land in the city (for the view, location, etc). Why not hold onto the property and lease it to something that is not competition. Hold the land and have payments made to ISD-709 so that we are using it as a money maker. Do not just sell it off!
GB – As to Edison, I am not seeking to harm it, or to roll back the clock to a time when it was not a part of the community’s educational landscape. Historic personal preferences on such points are moot. I accept as facts: Edison exists. Some find its offerings more attractive than those of ISD 709. It has many strong supporters. It is not going away. It wants, and will have, a high school. While I accept that Edison will buy or build a facility and operate a high school, I do not think ISD 709 has any obligation, including any moral obligation, to assist, expedite, or enhance the creation of that high school.
RP – As a former board member that opened Central in 1972 costing $6.2 million I would ask that you please consider a sale now for $14.2 million. Things continue to change & this maybe your last opportunity to salvage anything from the ruins left by the Red Plan. We have gone from 25,000 students in the 70’s to maybe 8,000 students today.
MS – Using the building for its intended purpose and using the money from its sale toward the ends envisioned in the recent renovation and building of our schools is only common sense. Edison will have a new high school whether or not the board agrees to sell. Please don’t pass on the best offer you have received.
PM – I realize this sale goes against a policy that likely is in place to protect our schools from competition. I get it. But, we’re going to have an Edison high school either way. The competition will be there. But, if we are able to invest 14 million dollars to make our public schools stronger and better, it would seem to me, this money will help keep students, thereby lessening the impact of another high school. I can’t find a downside to this proposal.
SV – I have one student remaining in high school, I pay my property tax and I support the rebuilding and remodeling of the school infrastructure. However, I also believe the old Central HS site needs to be sold immediately, if not sooner!! School board members will be recalled if this sale opportunity is not accepted.
MBN – The school board cannot be pressured by Edison. The public campaign from their families and Nordic skiers, as requested by Edison, is not ethical. Confidentially is a legal component of every real estate transaction and going to the media to support this complete change of plans for Edison is totally unacceptable. (Note from Harry- The buyer refused to sign a “non disclosure agreement”)
LL – I am writing this afternoon to strongly support the interest of the Edison Charter School and the Tischer Creek Building Company to purchase the former Central High School property. I am writing both as a member of an ISD709 family and as a tree care professional.
ST – I’m in favor of selling Central to Edison – it’s time the school was sold and they are going to build another high school anyway. The offer for Central is more an fair. As a Duluth resident it is a smart more and will allow more focus to be placed on improving our current schools.
MJS – Please reconsider your position to not sell Central to another school. Resistance to selling it to a competitive school is understandable, but after all these years of being on the market, no one has purchased this piece of real estate and there seem to be no interested parties on the horizon. The debt we carry after the Red Plan and the continuing budget shortfalls could be greatly lowered with the millions of dollars from the sale of this asset.
KG – I am a teacher at Edison, and know that there is sufficient support of the community to make an Edison high school a reality in the near fut. It is going to happen whether or not the Central building is sold. As a taxpayer, it seems the responsible thing to do is liquidate the building and use those funds for improving the education of Duluth’s children.
JH – For Heaven sake, sell Central to Edison. It is a no brainer. Protectionism is always regressive.
And keeping it is a waste of our money.
CL – It is a shame that building is sitting there empty right now when there is a chance to recreate the atmosphere it was once built for. As former Mayor Ness stated, it was the red plan that created a need for Edison to build a high school in the first place. Yes, you will undoubtedly face opposers, but I believe the support will significantly outweigh this and it will be nothing but beneficial for our city.
BH – Yes, taxpayers should get past the Red Plan forced on taxpayers but it taught us to be very wary of our school board decisions. This time, please be practical. Change your policy and sell Central and STC.
Go to the ISD 709 Website here to contact school board members individually or all together.
