The Central Valley school board last night started preparing to sell the former Fifth Ward Elementary School -- and at the same meeting authorized payment for sending last year's entire Fifth Ward teaching staff to Washington, D.C. to collect the school's Blue Ribbon Award.

The tiny school that was part of the Monaca School District won the prestigious award despite having all of six teachers, one for each grade. They attended the ceremony Nov. 2.

A total of 314 schools won the award nationwide. Fifth Ward earned it for its dramatic improvements in test scores.

But Monaca merged with Center Area School District this summer to form Central Valley, and the district is using Center's two elementary schools. Fifth Ward and Monaca's other elementary, C.J. Mangin, were closed this summer.

The school board authorized superintendent Dan Matsook to solicit an informal appraisal on the building, and will have its buildings and grounds committee give a recommendation on how to proceed.

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