BUTLER TWP — The Butler School Board on Monday night rejected two attempts to sell buildings closed in the district’s consolidation last year.

The board voted down sales proposals for Broad Street Elementary School and Oakland Elementary School, two schools that were closed along with Meridian and Clearfield schools when the district consolidated in the summer of 2015.

The district rejected a bid from JM Beatty Furniture for Broad Street, which has an average appraised market value of $456,500.

Although the initial bid was $530,000, JM Beatty lowered its offer to $400,000.

Under this new proposal, the furniture store offered to keep the playground fenced off and lease it to the city for $1 annually. The playground would be insured by the city and under the three-year agreement, the store requested that city property taxes not increase.

According to JM Beatty Furniture representative Blaine Duffee, the original bid for $530,000 included the company’s buying the playground for parking or storage.

However, the company would agree to removing the tax limitation clause but did not want to separately deed the playground to the city without retaining ownership, Duffee said.

Superintendent Dale Lumley told the board that this was the final offer from Chad Beatty, owner of the furniture business. Duffee said the company is anxious and is looking at other locations.

The board voted 5 to 4 against the sale to the surprise of board member Leland Clark. Clark said he favors selling three of the four schools, leaving one with the district until the consolidation review committee determines whether more space may be needed in the future.

“It’s seeming more and more unlikely that we would need any of the schools, but I was still OK holding on to just one until we completed the committee review and did future planning. I really think we should reconsider (the JM Beatty bid),” Clark said.

The only way the board could have made a second vote on the building was if one of the majority who voted against the sale made a motion to vote again, according to solicitor Tom King. But no board member who voted against the sale of Broad Street made such a motion.

Despite this, board President Nina Teff made a motion that the board express its intent to accept more offers and sell the school soon. The board unanimously passed the proposal.

An offer for the Oakland school for $363,600 from Monty Edgar also was rejected in a 6-3 vote. Oakland has an average appraised market value of $362,500.

Teff suggested that the board look into other options that increase revenue for the district such as leasing some of the building space.

Because the state reimburses the district some money on the debt service payments made because of school renovations, Teff also said that if the one of the buildings remained used for an educational purpose, the district could receive some money from the state, roughly $276,000 for Oakland in the 2016-2017 school year.

To receive the state reimbursement, more than 50 percent of the building has to be used for educational purposes, according to Lumley.

“I’m not saying to do this, but I’m throwing it out there as a can-do possibility,” Teff said.

While the sale to Edgar was not approved, board members who voted for the sale voiced frustration with the results.

Board member Al Vavro said, “We want to spend money to educate kids. Buildings don’t educate kids. Teachers, resources educate children, and my opinion is we need to sell the building.”

Board member Neil Convery seconded that because he sees no need to keep the buildings.

“I’m confused about how we can sit here and say that we have to have a discussion, but we just sold Meridian. I’m having a very hard time understanding the difference,” Convery said.

“From where I sit, I haven’t seen any kind of capacity or enrollment numbers that make me hesitate with that decision.”

Teff and other board members believe the consolidation review committee must have a final discussion about the district’s future before selling.

“Having a school building when you are a school district is a vital thing,” Teff said. “If you’re convinced, because you’ve looked at your future, that you absolutely do not need it, then maybe it makes sense to get rid of it.

“We have looked at no future planning as a board, collectively with the administration looking at multiple years. We haven’t looked at enrollment numbers looking forward.”

Board member Jennifer Cummings stressed this as well, saying that the board needs to discuss the impact of the consolidation during the After-Action Review Committee meetings before selling more buildings.

That committee’s next meeting is at 4:30 p.m. April 5 at the Harriger Educational Services Center, 110 Campus Lane.