BUTLER TWP — The Butler School Board Monday night voted to sell Broad Street Elementary School to The Arc of Butler County for $475,007, pending a final sales contract and the approval of a judge.

The Arc is a nonprofit agency that helps individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Board member Bill Halle, who has a lawsuit against the district regarding building sales, was the only one who voted against it. Board member John Conrad was absent.

Halle said, “The board promised to take public input before selling any building. We’ve never done that.

“We’re about to sell a school to a nonprofit. Even though the board voted to accept the bid from Arc, the lawsuit is still in play and a sale cannot be completed until it is resolved.”

A few others expressed concerns about the sale.

Suzie Hammonds Bradrick, who will be a new board member starting next month, read parts of an informational pamphlet given at meetings last school year as the district prepared to close schools.

“The district will seek input on closing activities and potential buyers,” she pointed out.

But Dale Lumley, superintendent, said the intent was to have people express their concerns about sales.

“When we sell a building, we will have an opportunity for community input for people to come forward and say yes they want this kind of business or they don’t, both at board meetings and at the hearing itself,” Lumley said.

“I was not trying to say that we would have yet another community meeting for input on general kinds of information. But when we have a buyer, is this buyer acceptable or is this buyer not acceptable? That’s what I meant when I put it in the brochure.”

The board discussed the issue for about 15 minutes before taking a final vote.

If the sale is approved by a Butler County judge, the $475,007 will go toward paying the bond issue debt for Broad Street and other buildings.