UPDATE: Daycare board withdraws land lease request to PSD
By Terry Murry on Monday, August 9th, 2021 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
UPDATE: The board of directors for Pendleton Children’s Center has withdrawn its request to the school district that it be allowed to lease district-owned land adjacent to the Pendleton Early Learning Center to build a childcare center. The board stated in a letter to the district that it has recently found another property suitable for that construction. The letter did not state the location of that property.
Posted earlier:
PENDLETON – The Pendleton School Board of Directors is expected to vote on a proposal that would see an independent group build a childcare center on property owned by the school district at its regular meeting today (Monday) at 6 p.m. Superintendent Chris Fritsch is recommending the board not commit the land at this time.
The Pendleton Children’s Center proposed leasing the land to build a center that would support an estimated 150 children up to age 4. In his written report to the board, Fritsch states that the property was appraised at over $375,000 in 2018, and will likely continue to increase in value; but that once the land is developed it may be of little use to the district.
Fritsch added that within the next 5 to 7 years, the district needs to begin discussions for modernizing current facilities and holding the land as an asset could help offset at least part of a tax burden for those projects.
The board will also vote on an athletic cooperative agreement with Nixyaawii Community School for boys’ soccer, and hear more details about school reopening plans and guidelines from the state.
There are a limited number of seats available at the meeting. It is at district headquarters in the old Lincoln Primary School building.
