The White County Director Of Schools will begin the process to deed school-owned properties currently housing volunteer fire departments back to the county government.
School Board Chair Bob Young introduced the proposal after discussions with County Executive Denny Wayne Robinson concerning the cleanest way to help the departments at BonDeCroft, Central View, and Cassville. Young said the transfer aims to shift the future for the departments away from the schools.
“That would give the county control over those facilities and they could work, negotiate with volunteer fire departments to do whatever renovations, improvements that they need to do over the course of time and it provides clarity as far as delineation as far as who’s responsible for those properties because we do not have that now and the education department is not in the business of being a landlord for other entities,” Young said.
Director of Schools Kurt Dronebarger said the process will require surveying work to determine the exact boundaries and utility lines before a final vote. The board also discussed including a clause that would return the land to the school district if the county ever ceases to use it for fire services.
“I too don’t like the idea of giving up land so to speak but I like the idea of giving it to our county more than I like giving it to a private organization or a 501(c)3 that might do any number of things with it,” Dronebarger said. “So I feel like it’s still staying in our house and staying on this side of the line where we could work with our colleagues at the county government.”
Board members raised concerns about giving up district property, but ultimately agreed that the land is not currently benefiting the school system. The fire departments cannot apply for numerous grants because they do not own the facilities. The issue has been one the School Board would not decide on for several months.
“What this does in my opinion, it gets us out of the picture,” Young said. “We’re not holding up anybody for whatever they want to do.”