ADAMS TWP — The Mars Area School School District has approved an agreement with Mars Home for Youth to purchase 15.35 acres from the home, reversing the district’s earlier decision to take the land through eminent domain.

School board members voted 6-3 Tuesday night to approve the purchase of the land for $2.1 million after a month of negotiations mediated in county court.

Several district parents spoke out against the purchase before the vote, raising concerns about the district’s treatment of MHY and the way they initially tried to obtain the land.

Eminent domain is a legal process by which government bodies can expropriate private property for public use.

Others raised concerns about the more money being spent on sports rather than education.

School board solicitor Thomas King specified that the money spent on the land will come from the capital reserve fund which cannot be used for operating costs and cannot be transferred to other accounts.

The vote passed with Steve Boggs, Gordon Marburger and Bonnie Weaver voting against the purchase.

A full report will appear in the Butler Eagle.