School Board sets work session on Helen Baker option

The Glencoe-Silver Lake (GSL) School Board agreed at its Monday night meeting to set a work session meeting to discuss the Helen Baker site purchase agreement from the city of Glencoe and the building proposal made by Glencoe Multi Family, LLC.
According to GSL Superintendent Christopher Sonju, this proposal and purchase agreement is the first the GSL school district has received, despite advertising the sale of the building.
“I’ve had people inquiring on it; we’ve shown some tours but none of those people that expressed any interest have given us anything to make a decision on. We now have that,” said Sonju.
Sonju encouraged the board to take time to look over the purchase agreement and the proposal, set a work session for the school board to meet with city officials about any questions they may have about the purchase agreement or the proposal, and then make a decision at the October School Board meeting.
Board Member Clark Christianson attended the city’s Economic Development Committee meeting and agreed with Sonju’s suggestion.
“I compliment (Assistant Administrator) Dan Ehrke and the rest of the city of Glencoe here. I think it’s great work. The Economic Development Committee has done well. To me, what’s inviting is we may benefit potentially from tax increment financing, but we may benefit from getting more kids, too,” said Christianson.
“The city has done a lot of work on this,” said Sonju. “I compliment not only them but the Economic Development Committee in exploring the possibilities with this. They’ve really done their homework.”
Board Member Donna VonBerge asked if the property is costing the school district any money as it sits. Business Manager Michelle Sander replied that yard maintenance is still being attended to and there’s still electricity in the building. The only thing the facility is being used for is temporary storage for the schools.
For more from the School Board meeting, see the Sept. 13 print edition of The Chronicle.