By Samantha Sinclair
Staff Writer
CARNESVILLE — The Franklin County Board of Education decided Friday morning to enter an agreement to purchase property just outside the city limits of Carnesville for a new elementary school to replace Royston Elementary School.
The purchase price is $748,380, with a 120-day due diligence period to cover contingencies including obtaining required approval by the state Board of Education.
The vote was 3-2, with board members Alan Mitchell, Kent Hall and Gary Minyard voting to enter the agreement, and Chair Robin Cato and Randall Gailey voting against entering the agreement.
The property, owned by Abe and Maria Padgett, is about 124.72 acres of undeveloped land at 5670 State Road 145. In a risk/hazard analysis performed by the school system in Nov. 2021, the property was found to be suitable for a school.
The 8 a.m. called meeting was requested by Mitchell, who said the meeting was needed since the sellers signed the agreement on March 25, and time was of the essence. Notice of the meeting was sent April 6 at 8:06 p.m., which is legal under board policy and state law.
As it is spring break for the school system and there was no one available to cut a check for the earnest money, Superintendent Chris Forrer said the board would not be able to finalize their end of the contract until next week.
Read the full story in next week's Franklin County Citizen Leader.