Board approves bids for sale of two houses
By Steve Van Kooten
The Prairie du Chien Board of Education approved the sale of two houses owned by the district at their March 9 meeting.
The school plans to sell two properties commonly known as the "white" and "grey" houses. Both have been used by the district for various needs over the years. The board decided to sell the properties this past year as part of the district’s budget-balancing efforts following two failed attempts to obtain an operating referendum.
The white house is located at 800 East Taylor Street, and the gray house is located at 705 South Buchanan Street.
Kramer Real Estate and Auction Service in Prairie du Chien conducted the bidding process. The final bid for the White House was $155,000, while the Gray House bidding closed with $200,000.
Curt Kramer, of Kramer Auction, said those numbers are the “hammer prices.” “That’s what [the district] will get. The offers were written for five percent more.”
Banasik said the sale price includes the bidding process, which is why the offers are higher than the school’s amount.
Kramer said the actual amounts the buyers will pay are $210,000 for the grey house and $162,750 for the white house.
The white house was purchased by the district for $26,325, and the gray house was acquired for $165,000, according to Banasik.
“So, we’re roughly making around $163,000 on the houses that we bought,” he said. That number doesn’t include any upkeep, maintenance, or improvements made to the properties while the district owned them.
Kramer said there were 27 bidders between the two, and both open houses were considered “very successful.”
“When it got down to the end, I could watch the bidding, and there [were] really only two parties in it for the last series of bids, so that tells me we maxed out the market,” he said.
He added that both deals should be closed by May 1, with one possibly getting completed significantly earlier.
The board accepted the bid offers for both properties.
Equipment
The district has also started looking at equipment needs for its buildings. B.A. Kennedy has some newer equipment, which will be removed and used to replace older units in the high school and Bluff View.
According to Banasik, the dishwasher in B.A. Kennedy is newer than the one in Bluff View, so the district will relocate the newer equipment to the other building.
“For the one at Bluff View, if something were to break down, they cannot get parts for it — it’s very difficult,” he said.
The old washer will be auctioned on the Wisconsin Surplus Store. Banasik said he had “no idea” what amount the district could get for selling it.
A stove from B.A. will be used to replace one in the high school. Other, older equipment in the building, including a commercial oven, will also be placed on the surplus store.
In attendance were Lacie Anthony, Lonnie Achenbach, Nick Gilberts, Noah White, Michael Higgins Jr., Dustin Brewer and Kyle Maahs. Banasik and the school principals were also present.
The next regular board meeting is scheduled for April 13.
Hires
Alex Mathies, head girls soccer coach; Amy Foster, Bluff View teacher’s aide; and Jacob Marshall, JV2 baseball coach.
Resignations
Holly Tanner, mock trial advisor; Jeff Mara, JV baseball coach; Ron Sedgwick, JV2 baseball coach; and Bailey Sternitske, assistant middle school track coach.
Other business
• The school district will host two informational meetings regarding the operational referendum on March 23 at 12:30 and 6:30 p.m. Residents in the district will have a chance to vote on the matter at the April 7 spring elections.
• Bluff View has choir and band concerts scheduled for April 21 and 30, respectively. The high school has a combined choir and band concert set for March 19, and the spring play will take the stage on April 16-18.
• Approved leasing a container for one year for storage purposes. The lease will be on a month-to-month basis, according to the board.
