Franklin board to hold auction for school closed after tax levy defeat, hire broker to sell another

Pennyroyal went to auction this spring, but “we didn’t get a bid that the board accepted,” Sander said. “And so now we’re going to the next step.”

The high bid came in for the 13-acre site at 4203 Pennyroyal Road at about $125,000, he said.

“I think the big part with Pennyroyal, it’s going to be really somebody wants to develop the land,” Sander said. “So that may take a little bit longer.”

The board is expected to consider hiring a broker at its next meeting.

Anthony Wayne was shuttered this spring after a levy defeat. As the district realigned schools earlier this year, it has been used for storage, prolonging the sale process, Sander said.

The district is looking to hold an auction for the 6.2-acre site at 16 Farm Ave. in mid-October, he said.

“A specific dollar figure has not been discussed” for either property, Sander said. “When we receive an offer, the board will need to consider it at that time.”

Each property’s geography is different. Anthony Wayne is near Franklin’s downtown and Pennyroyal is closer to the township.

The decision to close Anthony Wayne came after the March rejection by voters of a 6.3-mill operating levy.

Voters in the Franklin school district rejected the tax levy by more than a 2-1 margin, according to the Warren County Board of Elections. The levy failed in all 17 precincts in the school district, according to the elections board.

Before the levy defeat, Pennyroyal was already designated to close at the end of this school year, as the district is realigning the buildings by grades.