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Attempt to sell Burgwin School in Hazelwood fails again

Attempt to sell Burgwin School in Hazelwood fails again

A second attempt to sell the closed Burgwin School in Hazelwood to the Hazelwood Initiative for use as a Propel charter school failed tonight.

At tonight's school board meeting, board member Terry Kennedy, who had hoped to reopen Burgwin as a district school, said she now thought it urgent to sell it to the Hazelwood Initiative or risk losing the opportunity to reuse the building.

Ms. Kennedy replaced board member Theresa Colaizzi, who at her last meeting in November made a motion to sell the building to the Hazelwood Initiative for $475,000. Only board member Bill Isler joined her in voting for it.

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This time, Ms. Kennedy also made the motion from the floor. Mr. Isler seconded it, but withdrew the motion after some board members said the manner in which it was brought up violated the board's' procedures. No one else seconded it, so the motion died.

Board member Sherry Hazuda noted the matter hadn't been raised in advance, including at the executive session immediately before the meeting when real estate matters can be discussed.

"We're trying to clean our process so it's fair to everybody," Ms. Hazuda said.

Ms. Kennedy said she had planned to raise it at the March business meeting and put it up for a vote at the March meeting, but it became urgent as a commitment for another location appears to be imminent.

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She said Propel is actively recruiting in Hazelwood, and she made the motion so the district wouldn't be left without opportunity or money. She noted that the community organization also plans to offer programs in the building.

With the Propel school coming, she said she does not think the district can reopen Burgwin, which was closed in 2006, as a district school.

Propel won the right to open the school this fall on an appeal to the Charter School Appeal Board. Its plan called for the school to open with 200 students in K-4 and grow to K-8. Because the district must pay a fee for each resident who attends, an enrollment of 200 city residents would cost the district $2.57 million. While city students have priority, the charter school can accept students from other districts.

Education writer Eleanor Chute: echute@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1955.

First Published: February 27, 2014, 2:48 a.m.

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