In the next step of its Education 2020 reconfiguration, the Liverpool Central School District has posted a request for proposals for commercial real estate broker and appraiser services in order to sell two buildings: Nate Perry Elementary and the District Office, formerly Craven Crawford Elementary.

The district posted RFPs for the broker and appraisal services Feb. 25 on BidNet, the Empire State Purchasing Group website. Proposals are due March 18. The LCSD Board of Education expects to award the bids in June 2021.

The 55,634-square-foot district office, located at 195 Blackberry Road in Bayberry, was built in 1960 as Craven Crawford Elementary. NPE, located at 7053 Buckley Road, was built in 1957 and has a gross square footage of 53,888.

“Through the Education 2020 process, people really looked within themselves to see what resources our children need to get the best possible education and selling the things they don’t need so we can maximize our dollars and cents for what our children do need,” said LCSD Assistant Superintendent Dan Henner. “We just want to do as much as we can possibly do to help kids for the challenges that are in front of them.”

The Liverpool community and LCSD faculty and staff expressed five key values in the creation of the Education 2020 plans: maintaining class sizes, providing program opportunities such as Career and Technical Education and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math), mental health support and safety, tradition (“keep what is working”) and grade reconfiguration if it supports innovation.

Education 2020: What’s next?

“Stage One of the Education 2020 initiative will be implemented in the fall of 2021 when the incoming Liverpool High School freshman class is relocated to the LHS main building and the district finalizes the restructuring process of the remaining district buildings,” read a press release from LCSD on the initiative.

If COVID conditions allow, the Liverpool Central School District plans to hold several in-person community meetings this fall to update families and encourage conversations about the implementation of Education 2020. Further details will be posted on the LCSD website (liverpool.k12.ny.us) and sent to families through SchoolMessenger.

“Stage Two will take place in the fall of 2022 when the district implements a quadrant model (K-2, 3-5, 6-8 buildings) and converts the LHS Annex into a fourth middle school. In addition, both Nate Perry Elementary and the District Office will be closed,” the press release continued.

The District Office’s current functions will be shared across LCSD’s other buildings. The Wetzel Road complex will house human resources and the business office; Soule Road will become the new home of curriculum and instruction; and Morgan Road will host IT and special education.
Henner said he hopes the future buyers of NPE and the Craven Crawford buildings will be assets to the community.

“Schools across the country are being used for senior living, [facilities for] municipalities. Private businesses have bought former schools and turned them into hotels,” he said of possible future uses for these buildings.

One local example Henner cited is the Tailwater Lodge Restaurant in Altmar, which used to be an elementary school.

If private entities purchase the properties, it could reduce the tax burden for LCSD homeowners.

“School buildings aren’t taxable property so if it goes to a non-municipality there’s a chance of it going back on the tax rolls,” Henner said.

Bids due March 18

To submit a proposal for commercial real estate broker and appraiser services electronically through BidNet, visit bidnetdirect.com/new-york/liverpoolcentralschooldistrict.

If they have not done so already, proposers are encouraged to create a registered vendor account on BidNet. Proposers can create a free “search only” account; a paid subscription is not required to access the RFP documents and addenda.

The deadline for submission is 2 p.m. March 18. Late proposals will not be accepted. For assistance with the submission process, contact LCSD School Purchasing Officer John Flynn at 315-622-7112.