Garfield Elementary School in Marinette on August 20, 2019. PC: Fox 11 Online
MARINETTE, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The Marinette School District’s Board of Education voted unanimously Tuesday to issue a counter offer to an undisclosed buyer looking to purchase an elementary school that has sat empty for nearly two years.
The district closed Garfield Elementary School, located at 1615 Carney Blvd, at the end of the 2021-22 school year as part of a right-sizing effort. It listed the building for sale for about $300,000.
Early this year, the district rejected a purchase offer from St. Thomas Aquinas Academy, a Catholic school who was willing to pay full price for the building — saying it’s not in taxpayers’ best interest to sell the building to the competition.
In late June, the first step was filed towards a possible lawsuit against the Marinette School District for refusing to sell the empty building.
Three district residents – two of whom are members of the STAA board of trustees – filed a notice of claim with the school district. The conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty (WILL) is assisting Cheryl Sporie, Frank Staggs, and Fred Gard with the claim.
At its Tuesday meeting, the Board went into closed session to discuss a purchase offer from an undisclosed buyer. It then voted unanimously in open session to counter the buyer’s offer.
Superintendent Corry Lambie said he could not confirm who the buyer is, what the purchase offer was or what the Board’s counter offer is.
The Board said it hopes to hear back in the next few weeks to determine the next steps in the process.
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