Home purchase gives Esko schools room to grow

Esko school board members bought a house Monday. Or rather, they took the first step, unanimously approving a purchase agreement of $280,000 for the buildings and land at 25 Lincoln Lane.

The lot is adjacent and just east of school property, behind the former RAM Insurance building, now the Esko Education Center. It is one of six houses on that block, and the closest one to the school.

Superintendent Aaron Fischer recommended the purchase, after the homeowners reached out last week and gave the district the chance to buy before they put the house on the market.

The school district could use the property for more parking, another playground or green space - depending on zoning - and potentially for a future school expansion, Fischer told the board, adding that Thomson Township officials needed more time before weighing in on the zoning limitations. Worst case scenario, if the township would not allow anything except residential development, the district could sell the home and property in a year or two.

Fischer said the board considered purchasing the property nearly 20 years ago, when it last sold, but ultimately decided against it because there were so many other plans in the hopper and money was tight.

"Remember, you are really landlocked because of the additions you've done here," he said, noting additions to the original 1920 building in 1956, '60, '80 and 1998, plus a few smaller ones.

"You have green space needs," Fischer added. "You have parking lot needs, and you have future growth needs because you're built for about 1,300 [students] and you're at 1,277 or so. In other words, you're pretty much at capacity. And it's the right fit for us."

Natalie Hoff of ICS Consulting, who also has a real estate license, negotiated the purchase agreement. The closing date is set for Sept. 6 or before, with the possibility of leasing the property back to the owners to give them time to move. The district has five weeks to back out of the agreement if the zoning doesn't work.

Board chair Jerry Frederick favored the purchase, in part because the property is adjacent to two existing district lots and could provide more parking.

"It's an investment in the future," he said. "As we discussed in some planning meetings, if the school does need to expand, by putting it on this local footprint ... I think would save the taxpayers literally millions and millions of dollars in the long run. I can't see a horrible downside."

Board member Steve McConnell agreed. "It makes sense for the future," he said.

In other matters

• After months of committee meetings and research, the future of the Esko's Corner school district and community education newsletter is still undetermined. Costs for printing and mailing the product are very high, so board members directed Fischer to explore the idea of publishing online, and sending postcards to residents with QR codes that could easily open the newsletter with a cell phone camera.

• Board members voted to leave ticket prices and athletic fees at the same level as last year, with senior citizens still getting free admission to games with a pass.

• The trophy cases at the high school are being updated. While any state trophies before 1980 will remain, smaller trophies may be auctioned off at next year's Esko Fun Days, said board member Maggie Sunnarborg.

• A mobility leave was approved for Brian Wickenheiser, effective Aug. 15. He is an Esko teacher with 20 years in the district who was offered a job with the Proctor school district as the new curriculum director. The leave allows Wickenheiser to come back to Esko for up to three years.