Kingsbury Middle School site about to have ‘for sale’ sign
By Kathryn Reed
ZEPHYR COVE – Douglas County School District is moving forward with plans to sell the former Kingsbury Middle School site.
Superintendent Lisa Noonan briefed the board at its meeting this month about her intention to begin tackling all the state statutes involved with selling school property as well as concerns the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency may have.
One issue the district will look into is whether the coverage at KMS can be transferred to other school sites in Lake Tahoe.
The old middle school is in its third year of sitting idle. Declining enrollment forced the district to consolidate the three lake schools into two, with Zephyr Cove Elementary becoming a K-6 and Whittell High a 7-12.
“I know this is not the best economic climate to sell real estate, but it is a unique piece of property,” Noonan told the board. “I would love to see its next life contribute to the community even if it is not a Douglas County School District facility.”
The plan is to have at least one forum at the lake to discuss the future of the KMS site.
In other action:
• Sharla Hales is president of the board, Tom Moore vice president, and Karen Chessell clerk.
• B Gorman, executive director of the Lake Tahoe South Shore Chamber of Commerce, gave a presentation about the Prosperity Plan.
• The board gave the superintendent direction to speak with Jacks Valley Elementary parents about consolidation issues as well as possibly making the school a K-8.
Sad to see a school close and be sold.. BUT I am concerned that there might be a clause in the gift of land from George Whittell, Jr of a school site? Would selling violate the gift?
Lynne, President Lake Tahoe Historical Society
It’s one thing to close a school, and another to sell it; which basically sends the message that they never expect the population to increase again in this area, very sad.
What isn’t for Sale in Tahoe,People took the bull by the horns left for Greener pastures with a future.
Hyperinflation is seeping into the System ,it will show no Mercy on any that deal with American dollars for a currency …….it’s only a couple years away and the world will have a new currency.
Then you’ll wished you would bought a gun,lived way out in the desert.
Our Government has dug itself a hole that they can’t get out of,you can’t keep printing notes with no substances of value in the National Treasury…”are Americans so ignorant not to know this?”
Unfortunately this is nothing new. I have seen the same thing happen before with short-sighted districts. Enrollment lags and they sell valuable land and then spend it on current expenses. Then after a few years when enrollment starts to grow again, and it will, they panic and attempt to increase class sizes or stack portable classrooms where they can.
In the original charter of Stanford University it was decided that no land could ever be sold, as the value of that land would, with time, always be higher than anything that it was sold for. As such, the university still owns all of the original 8000-plus acres. It wisely leases land, but still retains it. And Leland was right about the value. I understand that things are tough, but to sell such a parcel at this time is not wise for many reasons.
“One issue the district will look into is whether the coverage at KMS can be transferred to other school sites in Lake Tahoe.”
Who would buy the property if there is no coverage? And I believe once coverage is transferred off, it can’t be transferred back on.