Elkhart Community Schools fail to avoid a one-dollar sale

ELKHART, ind. -- Elkhart Community Schools are working to consolidate as student enrollment continues trending downward.

This is part of the process of selling some of their old school buildings, like the former Osolo Elementary School.

They'll do this because of the Indiana law requiring schools to sell vacant buildings to charter schools for just one dollar.

Elkhart Community Schools say the process can be timely and costly, which is why they considered an alternative option.

The Innovation Network Agreement — a proposed legal contract between Elkhart Community Schools and Primere Arts Academy would turn the former Osolo Elementary School into a new campus for a public charter school

But at an Elkhart School Board meeting on Tuesday the motion to enter the agreement failed.

“This agreement does not benefit Elkhart Community Schools and instead gives a raise to premier along with their million-dollar grant from Indiana," said Dacey Davis Elkhart School Board Member District D.

Those in attendance argued that the legal contract was unclear and that Primere Arts would be taking away resources from the district.

The board also didn't have the details on how much debt was still owed on the elementary school.

By not securing that innovation network agreement tonight the next step is following Indiana's state law requiring "the dollar sale" which board members said could take up to a year to finalize, and the school system is still responsible for the building's upkeep during that time.