1) Renovating East Side would NOT use any local school district tax money. The East Side School Development Committee's fund raising has been entirely from private donors and grants. There was also an excellent possibility of getting an additional 1.2 million in tax credits, which would then be sold to an established, local investor.
2) East Side School has never been condemned. In fact, architectural firms who have inspected it closely have pronounced it extremely solid and worth renovating. Reusing the school is environmentally appropriate and consistent with Federal, state, and local efforts to support the adaptive reuse of school buildings.

3) The School Board is planning on spending between $100,000.00 and $300,000.00 (+) from your local options sales tax to demolish East Side. This comes directly out of your pocket, and these are funds that are badly needed for other maintenance projects in other school buildings.
4) ESSDC raised 1.4 million dollars in only 9 months, with no support from the School Board, while there was a demolition order hanging over their heads, and without the aid of a lease that would have made them eligible for various grants plus $1.2 MILLION in tax credits. There is every reason to believe that, if given a lease and sufficient time, the rest of the funds could be raised.

5) The School Board ultimately controls who occupies the building. This addresses any security concerns. The School Board, through the terms of any lease granted, can retain control over who occupies the building after it is renovated. The school district could even relocate its administrative offices to East Side, further increasing control over the site.

6) Built in 1896, East Side School is on the National Register of Historic Places and has been designated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as one of the eleven most endangered historic landmarks in America. This is part of the historic fabric of our community, and it is our responsibility to protect and preserve it.
Facts You Should Know
About East Side School