MARS — The former Middlesex Elementary School is for sale.

The Mars School Board Tuesday night agreed to hire two appraisers to value the building at a cost not to exceed $3,000 per appraisal and to advertise the sale of the former elementary school building at 116 Browns Hill Road.

Board President Dayle Ferguson said that since the district consolidated its elementary classes into the district campus in 2003-04, the Middlesex building has been used as administrative office space for the district’s special and gifted education and pupil services departments.

The district also has leased classroom space to other organizations that support special needs students.

Ferguson said the board’s approval to hire appraisers is the first step to get the property sold.

“The sale of public property is more complicated than a private transaction,” she said.

District solicitor Thomas King said once the board gets the appraisals, a bid on the property will have to be at least the appraised value. There also will be some limitations on the use of the building, including no adult entertainment and no sale of drugs or alcohol, King said.

Once the bid is approved by the board, it will have to be approved by a Butler County judge.

Ferguson said, “Middlesex Elementary, as one of our districts buildings, as home to key educational departments or as host to valuable community programs, will always hold a special place in our district’s history and in the memories of students and staff who learned and worked there,” Ferguson said.

Ferguson said in the past 10 years, the district has created the campus model for the increase in student enrollment and academic programs.

“With foresight, we are poised for additional student capacity in our current configuration and know that there are options for expansion on campus when necessary for future growth and opportunities,” she said.

One such project is the proposed renovation of the district’s administrative offices, Ferguson said. The renovation will expand the space to house the entire central office team, including the special education and pupil services departments.

Ferguson said the administrative consolidation saves money by being more efficient.

The project is still in the development stage and the final plans will come before the board soon.

She said the sale will not result in any furloughs and the support staff in that building eventually will be transferred to the main campus.

Part of the condition of the sale of the property is that the organizations leasing space will be allowed to stay and continue operations until their lease expires, she said.