CLEARFIELD TWP — For the dream of a community center to become a reality, the group promoting the idea desperately needs financial backers.

Dan Mennor, organizer of the Clearfield Community Center group, suggested to the Butler School Board Monday night that it move ahead with plans to sell the former Clearfield Elementary School. He said his group is not now in a position to bid.

Mennor explained that the group’s plans to buy the center are on hold, but that does not mean it will stop fundraising or exploring future options, he said.

The elementary was closed during last year’s district consolidation, but the building, with an average appraisal of $236,000, has no formal offers, according to Superintendent Dale Lumley. Monday’s board meeting at the school was held to discuss its future.

The Clearfield school is “a hard sell,” according to board member Bill Halle, who said the building needs significant maintenance and is in a less desirable location.

In addition, the township cannot afford to buy the building, let alone keep up with maintenance costs, according to township Supervisor Aaron Raible.

Halle recommended that Mennor try to put a proposal together regardless.

“I suggest that you continue working on that,” he said. “There’s a good possibility that it’s not going to sell quickly. From my opinion, I would rather see us do something that may not be as big a sale ... If we could work with a public-private partnership where we could get some income for the school to pay for the debt and also fulfill some of the needs of the community, I think that would be a great idea.”

Halle suggested a public-private partnership, with a company willing to help buy the school.

Under that plan, both the district and a center would benefit since the school might not be sold for a significantly lower cost, Halle said.

Jennifer Cummings, vice president of the board, said she would consider selling the school to the community center group for a lower price.

Cummings stressed that there is no specific asking price.

“Nobody wants an empty building,” she said.

But for Mark Krenitsky of Meridian the district needs to sell to a taxable entity.

“My only concern is that we have to move this process along,” he said. “Tax-free businesses are killing Butler. I really don’t want to see any more tax-free properties.”

Despite the lack of a formal bid, Mennor said the community center board is still pursuing options and hopes to work with the school or even a future buyer to provide a space for Clearfield residents.

“We haven’t given up on the community center,” Mennor said after the meeting.

Instead, Mennor said the group plans to continue seeking financial backers for the idea.

Mennor stressed that there is more than likely a person out there who attended Clearfield Elementary and has been successful enough to kick-start the process. He just hopes that the word can get out to the right people.

Mennor also said that for those interested in supporting the group, his phone number is in the telephone book.

In May 2015, the school board voted to close four elementary schools: Broad Street, Clearfield, Meridian and Oakland. Additionally, Center Avenue Elementary School was transformed into a school catering to students with special needs.

The ARC of Butler County bid $475,007 for Broad Street, and the school board approved the sale in November. Then, the new school board in December reversed the decision to sell. The ARC has since dropped its bid.

The school has two other bids on it, $530,000 from J.M. Beatty Furniture and $150,000 from the Center for Community Resources.

Brent Thomas and Ken McDonald have bid $350,000 for Meridian Elementary, and Michael Wright, owner of family-owned 70E Solutions, bid $425,000.

Monty Edgar, owner of Edgar Electric, has bid $363,600 for Oakland Elementary.

Hearings for these buildings already have been held.

Now the board must decide what happens to those buildings as well as Clearfield.