Neighborhood groups told the Pittsburgh school board last night that the district should consider more than financial gain in selling surplus school buildings.

At the board's monthly public hearing, representatives of Brightwood Civic Group, Hazelwood Initiative, South Side Local Development Co., North Side Leadership Conference and Lawrenceville Corp. said careful reuse of school buildings would be a boon to neighborhoods, while sales to the wrong people could set communities back.

Decisions about selling surplus buildings have put the board in a quandary. Members said they feel an obligation to get the most money possible for the financially strapped district, yet they're under pressure to heed communities' wishes for the properties.

Jim Richter, executive director of the Hazelwood Initiative, was among those who said the board should consider the impact on a neighborhood when selling a building. Burgwin School in Hazelwood is one of 22 schools slated to close at the end of the school year, and its building is one of 27 the district may put up for sale.

Mr. Richter had appeared at previous hearings to oppose the closing of Burgwin, saying struggling Hazelwood couldn't afford to lose one of its last assets. Last night, he told the board that selling the school building without considering the neighborhood's interests would be a second blow.

He said the district should consider a potential buyer's financial muscle and track record to make sure he or she is likely to carry out plans for the building. His comments were echoed by Tom Hardy, assistant director of South Side Local Development Co., and Kate Trimble, executive director of Lawrenceville Corp., both of whom represented neighborhoods where other surplus school buildings are located.

"And these criteria are really nothing new for developers," Ms. Trimble said, noting other government bodies set such standards.

The board has said it would like to sell surplus buildings to developers who will return them to the tax rolls. If the board doesn't screen would-be buyers to make sure they're up to the challenge, Mr. Hardy said, "you're not going to see the tax benefits."