School board candidates and Youngsville residents are raising concerns about the sale of the Youngsville Middle/High School building.

The issue was included on the agenda for Monday’s Warren County School District meeting. Bids for the property will be accepted until Oct. 28. Bidders are required to put down 10% of their bid payable to the Warren County School District with money returned to unsuccessful bidders. Bids will be opened Oct. 28, but not awarded that day. There is criticism from some of a deed restriction that will prevent the property from being used as a charter school, private school or other school that offers instruction in any grade between kindergarten and 12th grades.

The motion to declare the school as unnecessary and unused property was approved in a 5-3 vote, with Savanna Cochran, Kevin Lindvay, Paul Mangione, Mary Passinger and John Wortman in favor and Stephanie Snell, Daniel Sullivan and Tammi Holden opposed.

Bridget Schwab, school board candidate for Region 1, said the process is taking place too quickly to November’s school board election while many potential uses for the building haven’t been explored. She said the athletic fields and facilities should remain available to the current and future students at Youngsville.

“I oppose restrictions in the deed. Other schools have been sold without restrictions. It just seems like a penalization to the Youngsville community,” Schwab said.

Troy McFate, member of the Youngsville borough planning committee, discussed how the zoning for the school building can and cannot be categorized. More options are available for the building. Taxes for Youngsville residents would not be affected by re-zoning. This would then give way for a larger number of investors that could be interested in the building that would equal a higher selling price, which would be good for the borough, good for the county, and good for the school district.

“The Youngsville community deserves the opportunity to be involved in this process. The school is a large part of it. The students, teachers, band, athletic and bowling events aided in local businesses. Let us be a part of this decision,” McFate said. “Help fill that void with something that will make our community and Warren County a better place to become. Allow us to take this opportunity and grow our town. The building and athletic field are major assets of the district.”

Several agree a realtor should get involved.

Robert Cook, a candidate for Region 2 of the Warren County School District, said the building should be marketed for six months, after the area is rezoned, without deed restrictions and at the highest price possible. Cook also said the board should wait until after the election to take action.

“… again it is disheartening to hear about the potential sale of the Youngsville school and fields as it appeared on the agenda tonight, out of the blue,” Cook said.

Still, others continued to discuss the athletic field of the high school. Mrs. Peters discussed that in the year 2000, the Touchdown Club leased the field for $1, three weeks before school started and how the community came together. The club secured a loan of around $75,000; and in a short time, built the entire field which was then turned over to the school district. The project completed on time, the football team played its first game on the field as scheduled. Numerous fundraising events and community donations were given and the loan was paid off in less than a year. She felt that the Youngsville community deserves something in return for the added value and improvements that were done. She said many community members never thought the school and the football program would be removed.

In other business, Dr. Lyle Dosser, Sheffield elementary school principal, opened up the meeting by sharing a presentation about the Sheffield Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports program, commending the teachers for carrying out weekly lessons on each of the components of the PRIDE acronym: be Positive, be Responsible, show Integrity, be Determined, and e for Excellence. The support program consists of dedicated staff who focus on teaching and reinforcing the positive behaviors while also dealing with any problematic behaviors.