FAYETTEVILLE -- The Fayetteville Board of Education accepted a $1.865 million offer from the nonprofit Potter's House for the site and buildings of Jefferson Elementary, with the bid's strongest rival being a $1 offer.
NWA Black Heritage, a nonprofit group dedicated to preserving and fostering the city's Black culture and history, asked the board to let the group make the former school a community center. The former elementary was central to the city's Black residents for decades, group leader Sharon Killian told the board.
"Stop the erasure of our community," Killian said, saying the city's Black citizens were pushed aside by development and previous decisions by the city and schools. Six speakers addressed the board in the public comment period to support NWA Black Heritage's plans, more support than any other proposal.
Shawn Schwarzman, founder of Potter's House, said his nonprofit group plans to use the site for its programs, which include preschool, helping kids become leaders and building community bonds. He told the board and the speakers for NWA Black Heritage that he would respect what the building means to the Black community.
NWA Black Heritage's $1 offer and the Potter's House proposal received the only discussions of any length among the eight proposals submitted to the board to buy the school. Prices offered ranged up to $2.25 million, but the board had set other requests in proposing the sale. For instance, offers that opened the site to community use were preferred. Offers serving the community's children were strongly preferred by her, board president Nika Waitsman said during the meeting. Only three of the offers met the conditions set by the board, members decided: those from Potter's House, NWA Black Heritage and developer John Cloyed.
The school had a fiduciary responsibility to get fair market value for an asset bought by taxpayers, said Justin Eichmann, a board member and attorney. "There's a very narrow pathway with what we can do with this building," he said. The board voted to sell the building and use the money to improve other schools to the benefit of students, he said.
But such considerations always work against minorities, said board member Megan Tullock. "To Black people, the law is like a game they cannot win," Tullock said during debate.
Board member Keaton Smith also said during debate he was torn in the decision.
"It's tragic that this decision is being made by something procedural," he said. "I feel stuck and conflicted."
But expressed regrets changed no votes. The board approved acceptance of the Potter's House offer without a dissenting vote.
In other business, the board voted to raise substitute teacher pay, with substitutes with a high school diploma getting a raise from $90 to $107 for a day's work. Those with a college diploma will get $117 a day, a $20 increase. Those with an Arkansas teaching license will get $127 a day, a $22 increase.