Reading City Council and local community members came together Thursday evening to swap ideas about what to do with the former Reading Elementary school building.
Earlier this year the USD 251 Board of Education voted to close the school in order to generate over $200,000 in savings for the district, a decision which community member Lisa Cox says was heartbreaking.
Thursday’s meeting was meant for community members and council members to voice their ideas and opinions on how to keep the building operational in some capacity. Reading Mayor Todd Hensley says there were several great ideas thrown around, however as their is no deadline for when a purchase must be made, he is in no hurry to make a decision.
Reading City Council member Heather Jones shares this mentality and says before any decision is made there has to be a solid plan to generate continuous revenue to cover the costs of upkeep and insurance, which alone would be $12-$15,000 a year.
Several ideas were discussed during the meeting including turning Reading into an event venue, business incubator, and even a training facility for the Reading Fire Department. No decisions were rendered during the meeting. The Reading school issue is expected to be a major point of conversation during the City Council’s next meeting Thursday, June 7. Reading will formally close on June 30th.
