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WALNUT, Iowa (AP) — The city of Walnut is debating how to best preserve a historic school building as it prepares to launch a new school district this summer.
The Daily Nonpareil (http://bit.ly/1rb8qGW ) reports that it's unknown what will happen to the building when the Walnut Community School District merges with the Avoca-based AHST district July 1.
The reorganization was prompted when Walnut saw the second largest enrollment decline in the state. It became unfeasible to operate the more than 100-year-old school.
The Walnut school board would like to give the building to the city, which could then decide how to best use the space.
If a decision isn't made by the time the Walnut district ceases to exist independently on June 30, the school board of the new district, called the AHSTW Community School District, would be responsible for the building.
Walnut school board president Bryan Simonsen said that the Walnut school board wants to be responsible for the decision-making instead of the AHSTW board.
"We need to get the ball rolling," Simonsen said.
Walnut Mayor Gene Larsen said the community cares about what happens to the building, and there are ongoing discussions to determine if the city can be financially responsible for the school, which spans 77,600 square feet and consists of a 1910s three-story split-level building with five additions.
City Council's concerns with the building include accessibility, heating and cooling, maintenance, electrical systems, plumbing and asbestos.
Larsen said that property taxes would likely go up if the city acquired the building. But he added that it would be "criminal" to let the whole building be destroyed after taxpayers invested so much into it in recent decades.
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Information from: The Daily Nonpareil, http://www.nonpareilonline.com
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