The TUSD Governing Board approved the sale of the former Reynolds Elementary School for $1.425 million Tuesday night.
The east side school, 7450 E. Stella Road, was sold to TK Development, which intends to build single family homes, senior residential housing or hold the land until market conditions are optimum for selling the property.
The sale is contingent on a successful rezoning and approval from the court overseeing the Tucson Unified School Districtโs desegregation case.
Residents in the Reynolds neighborhood told the board they were concerned about construction of apartment units and public housing. They also raised issues about buffer zones, views and housing price declines, as well as their ability to have a voice in the sale and development.
TK Development, however, said apartments are a very remote possibility and that public housing was not something it will pursue. It also explained that in most cases, home values increase in areas where new residential housing is built.
Reynolds was closed in 2010 as a cost-saving measure. At one point, a charter school offered to buy the site for $2.1 million but the offer was not put before the governing board for a vote.
The proceeds of the sale can be used to pay off bonds, improve existing schools, purchase school sites or reduce taxes.
TUSD will use the proceeds to repair and upkeep facilities given that state funding for those purposes has diminished, said Superintendent H.T. Sanchez.
In other business, the board approved charter changes for the TUSD Audit Committee, which remove voting power from the governing board member appointed to the committee as well as the districtโs chief financial officer.
The charter change also addresses relationships between committee members and TUSD employees, allowing for such connections except when they are an immediate or close family member of someone who serves in a leadership capacity.
The charter of the districtโs Employee Benefits Trust Board also was revised to make the governing board member who sits on it a non-voting member.
