Xenia schools to sell Arrowood Elementary

The district plans to sell Arrowood to Summit Academy for $600,000. The deal has not been finalized.

Instead of moving the central offices into Arrowood at 1694 Pawnee Drive, the district would move its administration into the McKinley building at 819 Colorado Drive.

The Board of Education voted 4-1 on Monday night to approve negotiations, with Dr. Robert Dillaplain dissenting.

“They’ve made us an offer and so the board has authorized us to pursue a negotiated contract with them,” district treasurer Rosalie Townsend said Tuesday.

Townsend said Summit Academy has about 60 students in Xenia and that the school has outgrown its location at 870 S. Detroit St. Summit specializes in teaching students with autism, ADHD, Asperger’s syndrome and other learning disorders.

Townsend said Summit was interested in the Central Office building at 578 E. Market St., but that renovation needs made that unlikely. She said also that Summit wanted to move by July 1. A representative from Summit Academy could not be reached for comment.

McKinley, which was built after the 1974 tornado, already has air conditioning. The district was going to have to install AC at Arrowood, which Townsend said was built in the early 1960s.

She said McKinley’s setup is conducive to administrative offices, and the building could be used in other ways if more students move into the district.

The potential sale doesn’t affect the new elementary school building project. A new elementary school is being built near Arrowood so the schools eventually will become neighbors.

Arrowood and Shawnee elementary schools were slated for closure after this school year as part of a plan to save the district $5 million.

Five new elementary schools will open in 2012-13.

Bids for construction are being gathered and will be opened March 16.

Xenia Community Schools will share its five-year strategic plan with parents and business and community leaders at a public forum at 9 a.m. March 19 at McKinley. For more information, call the school district at (937) 376-2961.