For sale? Community expresses interest in Abilene ISD properties sitting idle

Unused campuses in Abilene ISD have spurred interest as the School Board moves toward possibly putting them on the market.

AISD trustees approved initiating the process of appraising two properties at their May regular meeting.

The properties, Fannin Elementary School and Woodson Early Childhood Center, were presented as surplus facilities at the last board meeting in April by Dr. Joseph Waldron, deputy superintendent. Decisions on next steps were tabled until the next meeting when all board members were present.

Community interest in Fannin and Woodson properties

Four community members came forward during the public comment portion of the May meeting to express their interest in the available properties.

Texas Leadership Charter Academy expansion

Daniel Dukes, chief academic officer of Texas Leadership Public Schools, addressed the board about purchasing the Woodson campus to accommodate the public charter school's growth.

Texas Leadership Public Schools is a open-enrollment charter school network with campuses in Abilene, Arlington, Midland, San Angelo and Cedar Hill, according to the charter's website.

Texas Leadership Charter Academy — Abilene's branch in TLPS — has two campuses.

The elementary is located in AISD's Valley View Elementary, and the old YMCA building on State Street is used as the secondary campus, Dukes said.

"We are outgrowing that, and so we are really needing to have a separate middle school and high school," Dukes said.

The interest in the Woodson facility is because of fewer estimated costs for renovation and its proximity to the other TLCA campuses.

"Charter schools do not receive facility funding or tax base, so we have to be really strategic in getting buildings," Dukes said. "And when an actual school becomes available, we have to jump on it.

"It's much cheaper to renovate an actual school building than it is to take something like the YMCA and take it from a completely different use and get it up to code as a school."

Like independent school districts, open-enrollment charter schools receive state funds based on students' average daily attendance, according to the Texas Education Agency.

Dukes said TLPS envisions Woodson becoming a vibrant school building again in Abilene with a rich history to honor and preserve. The goal is to have the building up and running in a year.

He mentioned a clause in the Texas Education Code regarding open-enrollment charter schools that school districts must give charter schools the first opportunity to make an offer to purchase or lease unused facilities before opening options to other entities.

Although trustees do not have to accept the charter's closed bid offer, Dukes said they are open to partnering with other groups interested in Woodson to create a multi-use facility.

Nehemiah Abilene to expand programs to women and children

Lee Morris, CEO of Abilene Restoration Ministries also known as Nehemiah Abilene, conveyed his organization's interest in the Fannin Elementary facilities to expand programs to women and their children.

Nehemiah's program supports men struggling with substance abuse, homelessness, violence, crime and poverty. A similar idea would be implemented through the creation of the Esther program.

"We want to be able to offer the same thing for women and also provide counseling services and therapy for their kids so they may get past the trauma of having an addicted parent," Morris said.

The envisioned revitalization of Fannin's facilities and surrounding land owned by the city of Abilene will work for implementation of agricultural therapy used in the Esther program.

Morris said his team has already spoken with members from the Abilene City Council about reclaiming the land for their purposes, and they appeared open to their ideas.

"I don't know if we can offer much money for the property, but I know we have done really well with what we have in Abilene," he said.

The men who have been incarcerated and graduated from the program have not relapsed after two years, Morris said.

With establishing a new program for women and their children, Morris said he hopes the organization will be able to continue having long-term impact in Abilene's communities.

Historical relevance in Abilene's Black community

Edwin G. McGee came to the board asking for consideration in returning Woodson Elementary back to the Black neighborhood.

McGee spoke passionately about living his whole life in the neighborhood around the school and seeing parts of its history torn up or taken away.

"The neighborhood has changed, dramatically," he said. "That's the last of my neighborhood."

Rather than seeing the historical building sold or demolished, McGee suggested giving the building to Black nonprofit organizations.

"I don't need no speech in front of me. I am speaking from my heart," he said. "We need that. Let us have that building. Let us use our organizations to help just like they are doing anyway."

Former Abilene Mayor Anthony Williams also approached the board about the Woodson property.

Next year in 2025 will mark 135 years African Americans could receive education in this community, he said.

Williams backed McGee's statements about the importance of the Woodson building to the community.

"I would ask because of the significance of that building, what it represents for this community, for you to table a decision to allow us to have some conversation," Williams said.

Moving forward with property appraisal

School Board members heard a presentation from Waldron during the May 6 meeting regarding initiation of the process to sell Fannin Elementary School and Woodson Early Childhood Center.

The action approved at the meeting was not to sell or receive bids but to get appraisals for Fannin and Woodson. Trustees approved a resolution for each campus to initiate proceedings for appraisal.

They repeatedly asked questions on the resolutions' wording and the timeframe before voting.

"The appraisal is really driving the next step," Waldron said. "It's pretty important for establishing a fair market value and an important part of the bid process."

Waldron said he anticipates it will be "months not weeks" before AISD accepts bids for the properties.

"The appraiser estimated it to take six to eight weeks to examine both properties and to produce an appraisal," he said.

Waldron and Dr. John Kuhn, AISD superintendent, detailed the steps the board would take before deciding on awarding the properties to bidders.

The board votes to initiate proceedings. The appraiser conducts an evaluation, and an appraisal comes in. Then a bid package is put together and reviewed by legal counsel.

An advertisement is put out for bids and a second notification is put out a week later. The School Board is able to change the process or put the brakes on selling at any regular meeting, Kuhn said.

"Anytime between now and when the bid goes out, I think there are options, but we are just starting the process of selling," Waldron said.

"And from what I understand, even if the bid package goes out, the school board does not have to accept any or all bids, or you don't really have to necessarily do anything until you award the bid," he said.

More: Abilene ISD Board of Trustees reviews budget, vacant buildings, average daily attendance

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Public expresses interest in AISD properties, board moves to appraise