Almost a year after putting the old Dallesport Elementary building on the market, Lyle School District received two offers within a few weeks to purchase it for the full asking price of $1.6 million.

The Lyle School District Board of Directors accepted the offer from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and, at the November 17 regular board meeting, approved a purchase-sale agreement with the agency. The last step in finalizing the sale is for the Board of Natural Resources to meet and approve the purchase, scheduled for December 7, 2021.

Building Closed in 2016

The Dallesport School was built in 1996 after voters across the district approved a 20-year bond measure the year before. At that time, the enrollment in our Kindergarten through 5^th grades was 232 students. Currently, the district has 102 students in those grades.

For Washington state schools, funding is based on enrollment. Nearly all school funding – whether it’s from the state, the federal government or locally-approved levies – is calculated on a per-student basis. 

In spring, 2016 -- with less than half of the original enrollment and the district in financial difficulty -- the Lyle School Board made the only realistic decision, to close the Dallesport building before the start of the next school year. Operating two partially-full schools generated duplicate expenses, and there were academic opportunities in combining the campuses. For example, specialists like art, music and PE teachers can also provide instruction in the elementary grades on a shared campus.  

Still, an empty building is still not completely free of expense. The district has continued to pay over $3,500 a month for utilities and maintenance of the Dallesport building, as well as the property tax on it. Worse yet, empty buildings are prone to deteriorate and are vulnerable to vandalism.

Building Leased in 2017

The situation improved temporarily when the building was leased in January of 2018. The 10-year lease-to-buy agreement with Sagetech generated over $11,000 in monthly rent, and the property tax and utilities costs shifted to the renter.  The agreement with Sagetech preserved district and community access and use of the playground toy, track and softball field.

Sagetech made improvements to the buildings, but hadn’t yet completed construction when the company developed financial problems. The company went into bankruptcy and, ultimately, receivership in 2019.

Before declaring bankruptcy, Sagetech formally requested to purchase the property per the terms of their contract. Eventually, however, the receiver released all claim to the building.

Sale of Property

Since that time, the district has worked with commercial realtor Deborah Ewing to market the property, resulting in the offers.  After considering the offers and taking public comment, the board voted at the October 27 board meeting to authorize Superintendent Ann Varkados and district counsel to proceed with negotiating the final terms of the sale with the Department of Natural Resources.

The DNR has described plans to develop the building into a regional wildfire response center, with existing staff and resources from DNR’s work center in Husum being relocated to Dallesport. They anticipate approximately 65 employees stationed out of this response center.  

In a letter to the Board of Directors, Washington Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz wrote, “In order to better protect our communities and natural resources, the state legislature recently dedicated funds for DNR to strengthen our state’s wildfire response, including adding firefighters and equipment and expanding infrastructure. The community of Dallesport and its former elementary school are located in a geographically advantageous position, uniquely positioned to help achieve our goal of strategically placing firefighters across Washington."

"From the start of this process, the district has looked for potential buyers who would benefit the local community," Superintendent Varkados said, adding, "The board and I are pleased with DNR’s plans for the property and proud that it will benefit not only the mid-Columbia Gorge but the entire region."

What Does this Mean for the Community?

The former school building and approximately one-half of the original lot are included in the sale. The sale will NOT include the Dallesport Community Center Building. The original 7+ acre parcel has been subdivided.  As part of the sub-plat, the district has deeded the property the community building sits on to the county; the building itself was constructed by the county.

Nor will it include the track and softball field. The district and community will still have use of them and, it now appears that playground was already on county property.

The income from the sale will go into the district’s capital fund, the same place the rental income was deposited. By law, these funds can be used only for major repairs or improvements to district buildings.

Dallesport children who attend Lyle Schools, like all of the district’s students, will continue to benefit from much-needed work on the Lyle campus, including the replacement of an undependable, expensive and hard-to-repair HVAC system.

When and if growth occurs in the district, the Lyle campus is large enough to accommodate additional students and staff. Its central location means that students coming from all parts of the district will have comparable distances to travel.