Chesterfield Elementary School will still be demolished

Chesterfield Elementary will still be demolished on-schedule despite community efforts to pause the process.

The demolition, which was approved in a 5-2 vote at the June Burke County Public Schools (BCPS) Board of Education meeting, was a topic of discussion on the agenda once again Monday night.

Board members Sonya Rockett and Reid Beck were against the demolition. Rockett requested a new discussion in light of a new development.

The development is a community coalition that formed in response to the demolition. The group requested a 90-day pause while they search for funding to purchase the property and turn it into a community center.

Kelly Michaels, who attended Chesterfield Elementary, spearheaded the effort and addressed the board during public comments. Later in the meeting, board members discussed the topic and a motion to pause the demolition failed in a 4-3 vote, meaning it continues as planned.

COMMUNITY CENTER PROPOSAL

Michaels was the only person who signed up to speak during public comments on Monday.

Before she took to the podium, Beck asked to suspend the 3-minute time limit rule and permit Michaels to speak for up to 8 minutes. The board voted unanimously to allow it.

“Tonight, I ask you to look past the line items on the budget,” Michaels said to the board. “Look closely at the severe resource deficits in our neighborhood.”

Chesterfield is a small community in Burke County. Michaels said it’s a community dwindling in numbers that has few resources.

Michaels proposed turning the old school into a community center, including:

• An early educational playground
• Nature trails
• Facilities for basketball, baseball, and soccer
• Seasonal farmers markets and indoor food courts
• GED and local heritage classes for adults

A community center could also include a micro-library and event space, Michaels said.

Michaels emphasized that the coalition is not asking the school board to pay for anything. They are simply requesting a 90-day pause that would allow them time to finalize a plan to purchase the building from the district.

SCHOOL BOARD DISCUSSION

Rockett led with her concern about spending $256,000 of taxpayer dollars to demolish the building just to raise its sale price by $8,400.

A realtor established in recent months that the lot would sell for $372,000 with the building. It would sell for $380,400 if the building was demolished.

But also, Rockett said the community coalition is a new development and a responsible board would revisit a decision “when a credible alternative appears before an irreversible step is taken.”

“Within that 90 days, they propose to bring a concrete offer to this board,” Rockett said. “One that lets us evaluate a real purchase, backed by real money instead of a wrecking ball. … It removes the property from our liability and maintenance roles without us spending a single dollar to demolish it.”

Board member Leslie Taylor asked what it would cost the school district to pause the demolition contract.

Superintendent Mike Swan said D.H. Griffin Companies has already completed about $10,000 worth of work related to the demolition.

Swan said a pause may void the contract with D.H. Griffin. Voiding the contract would trigger a 30% penalty.

The penalty would be up to $82,000, Swan said.

Board member Brad Camp asked if the community coalition could find funding in 90 days – and what the next step would be if it didn’t.

“If it doesn’t, we move forward with the demolition process,” Rockett said.

Rockett clarified that she is not part of the coalition.

Rockett motioned to pause the demolition contract. Beck seconded. Both voted in favor of the motion, along with Camp.

The motion failed because the remaining four board members voted against it.