Marinette School District provides update on Garfield Elementary School Property

The Marinette School District Friday issued a press released providing an update on the former Garfield Elementary School property. Superintendent Corry Lambie outlined the district’s recent history regarding its buildings and what is happening with the Garfield property. According to the press release, the Marinette School District received an offer to purchase the Garfield property in November, and it was substantially below the asking price. After the Board of Education rejected it because of the price, they requested that the administration amend the terms of the sale to include a deed restriction that would prohibit any new owner of the property from using it to provide K-12 educational services. This includes entities, such as private charter schools, private schools, non-denomination academies, and virtual academies. Superintendent Corry Lambie says, “the deed restriction allows the district to examine each offer based upon the sustainable financial interests of the district’s taxpayers and make fiscally responsible decisions in consideration of the long-term impact on the district’s finances.” Unfortunately, the press release does not address the district receiving a full price offer from Saint Thomas Aquinas Academy (STAA) of Marinette. STAA representatives have taken to a public discussion site on social media to discuss the matter, and Mayor Genisot brought it up last week at the Common Council meeting when the council was discussing possible new locations for City Hall and the police department. The press release goes on to say that during our Rightsizing Project, we closed Garfield and Sunrise to maximize learning opportunities and modernize our facilities for Marinette School District students while saving operational dollars for taxpayers. The Board of Education continues to work closely with administration and the district realtor for the property to consider and review ongoing offers. As Marinette School District continues to seek a purchaser for the property, the Board of Education would need to approve the sale of the building during an open board meeting.