The Greene County Community Schools will pay $17,250 per acre for farmland on the south side of Highway 30, west of AAI/Spalding, for the new high school and regional career academy.
The agreement approved by the board of education at its April 18 meeting is to purchase 49.92 acres now at a cost of $861,120.
The purchase agreement with Bravard Farms calls for the school district to purchase the adjacent 34.71 acres at the same price per acre during the next five years. Both parties can invoke the agreement for the additional acreage at any time. The smaller portion will cost $598,748, for a total of close to $1.46 million for the 84 acres.
The attorneys for both parties have seen the purchase agreement and have okayed it.
Board member Steve Fisher noted that the price per acre is the appraised value given by an independent appraiser. The appraised value was known by the school district and the Bravards before voters approved the bond referendum April 3.
The board discussed the purchase in closed session last week under Iowa Code 21.5.1(j), “to discuss the purchase or sale of particular real estate only where premature disclosure could be reasonably expected to increase the price the governmental body would pay for that property…” The board omitted the word “only” in its motion to go into closed session.
