What To Do With Retired School Buildings

farmer2009 · Jul 23, 2014

The schools around here seem to be torn down. But I have seen them used as sewing factories and seen one farmer buy one to house his migrant workers in. As he had a lot of tobacco and vegitables. Seen one converted into a fire station. It was a slab design. They added doors and remodeled. They have many uses. If they can find a manufacturing plant that want it it could be a win win.

brin · Jul 23, 2014

Our old high school was purchased by a community technical college as a branch for them and has really been great for our county...

roadhunter · Jul 23, 2014

I purchased an old country school here in Nebraska and converted it into a home. Been a fun project and we really enjoy the basketball court and large swing sets. It was operated up until may of 2011.

rockinmywaypa · Jul 23, 2014

Our local elementary school was pegged for closing. I was kidding my older brother and sister in law that since they were in the first classes that used it when it was built they could be the first to move in if they turned it into an old folks home. They didn't laugh.

Clint S · Jul 23, 2014

Tailwater | About the Lodge. We had 3 close. This one was turned into a hotel resort and another was turned into a factory the makes incubators. One sits vacant and is pretty much beyond repair

YardBikeBob · Jul 23, 2014

While in Kansas City we had many elementary schools abandoned and eye sores. Private developers made plans to reuse the properties. Come to find out, there were bonds issued that listed the schools as collateral. If the district did nothing, the bonds looked okay. But if a new appraisal was done and the buildings properly valued, the bonds would default. So there they set.

I don't know how you'd find out if rural government buildings were unencumbered by debt obligations or how'd you even get a clear deed.

Bob

ultrarunner · Jul 23, 2014

Here's one that a community group bought in my area...

Port Costa school

aczlan · Jul 23, 2014

One elementary school near me was turned into a library and a community center. Works well by all accounts.

Aaron Z

forgeblast · Jul 24, 2014

Asbestos and mold would be my biggest concerns, also a very ineffective heating system, probably oil fired and single pane windows. Also remember there were short cuts in the building process (lowest bidder) so some of the fittings etc might be faulty. Once school I worked in had one water shut off valve for 7 class rooms so that they could save money on valves, it also had walls that did not go all the way up to the roof so that they could run long banks of lights (they were all on one switch).