During its meeting Tuesday, April 2, the Sedona-Oak Creek School District Governing Board unanimously approved placing the district’s ability to sell the shuttered Big Park Community School to a private party on the ballot for the Nov. 5 general election.

“I just really want to make sure that everybody understands that this is just opening a door for potential, that no decisions are made one way or the other, if we will sell and how we will sell,” SOCSD Superintendent Tom Swaninger said during the meeting. Swaninger added that in the event that SOCSD were to sell the property, it is not required to sell it to the highest bidder: “My desire would be to find the bid for the greatest good.”

While Yavapai County Supervisor Donna Michaels [D] District 3] proposed last summer that the county purchase the property, Michaels made the proposal personally and it has not been taken up by the board. County officials have deferred comment on Michaels’ concept pending completion of an ongoing space study that does not include the Big Park campus. SOCSD officials stated that the property’s omission from the study showed a lack of interest by the county.

Board of Supervisors spokesman David McAtee said on April 4 that the study is approximately 90% complete.

“We had a meeting a couple of weeks ago with [Michaels],” SOSCD Governing Board President Randy Hawley said after the meeting. “And we’re really no further ahead than what we have been for a couple of years … That’s probably the main reason that we are considering putting the vote on the ballot.”

SOCSD board member Karen McClelland said that putting the issue on the ballot would give the county ample time to prepare for the election and that she hoped the decision would “spur the county” to make a decision, or that the proposal might prompt private individuals to propose others solutions to SOCSD’s financial concerns.

“I am concerned that the board would vote [to put the question on the ballot]  and then there would be no community input,” Village of Oak Creek resident Carolyn Fisher said during public comment. “We [were] promised that we would have conversations. I haven’t seen one scheduled yet.”

Following the meeting, Swaninger said to Sedona Red Rock News that the district is committed to hold at least one meeting in the VOC.

The Verde Valley Regional Economic Organization discussed creating a special taxing district at the former school to convert all or part of the site into a community center during a meeting Friday, April 5, at the Big Park campus.

Yavapai County Superintendent of Schools Tim Carter will be mailing out a voter information pamphlet prior to the election. Individuals or groups who wish to present arguments for or against the issue for inclusion in the pamphlet must submit them before 5 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 9.

These are limited to 200 words and may be mailed to or dropped off at the Yavapai County School Superintendent’s office, 2970 Centerpointe East Drive, Prescott, AZ 86301.

Arguments may also be submitted electronically at ycesa.com/election-services.