The Warren County School District Board of Education is engaging with the Warren County Commissioners on potential reuse of the former Youngsville High School building.

The county commissioners will discuss use of the building at its Nov. 17 work session. The agreement, according to a news release from the commissioners, allows the commissioners to opt out after the first year. If the agreement works out, it would be for 25 years.

“We want to be part of the solution,” the commissioners said in their release Monday night. “We’ve watched other former school buildings fall into disrepair and languish for many years. We believe that outcome may be avoided here.”

A preliminary injunction attempting to stop the potential sale of the building was denied last week, with a hearing scheduled for Nov. 12. The commissioners say they will need time to explore potential county services and organizations that could use the space, while acknowledging the uncertainty among Youngsville residents who have been trying to stop a potential sale.

“We’ve had informal conversations with organizations throughout the county that have expressed interest in utilizing the space at YHS and we’re hopeful that those conversations – and our planning efforts in the next 12 months – will yield a dynamic use of the space,” the commissioners said. “We recognize the important place that this facility has occupied in the life of the Youngsville community and want to ensure that the building continues to be a resource to the community for years to come.”