Oconto Falls School District officials have approached the city with a proposal to transfer ownership of the Jefferson School site to the city.
The school-owned property has been incorporated into Pine Grove Park, and Superintendent Dave Polashek on June 10 asked City Council members if the city wants to acquire the property as an addition to the park.
One snag in the transfer stems from the title of one of two parcels for the property. Although one parcel has no restrictions for its use or sale, the other parcel has conditions dating back about 140 years. If the land is no longer used for educational purposes, it reverts to the original owners or their heirs. Legal consultants hired by the school district in 1996 identified 40 heirs of the Volk family, but no consensus could be reached among them regarding the land.
School Board member Charles O’Harrow suggested the school district clear the title by transferring the deed to one Volk descendant who would act as an intermediary between the city and school district and pass the property to the city, “for a cup of coffee.” He admitted he wasn’t sure of the legality of his plan.
City Attorney Larry Jeske asked to review the paperwork from 1996 before he dug deeper into the issue, but Polashek said the documents aren’t easily accessible. The files are at the law firm, and the district has since changed its legal counsel.
Dale Seeling, of the Oconto Falls Heritage Center, told the council about plans to develop a historical attraction at the Jefferson School site, with the abandoned Spruce School as its centerpiece. The school, 7904 County Road A, Lena, educated generations of Spruce-area students before closing in June 2012.
The Oconto Falls Area Heritage Center would like to move the vacant building to the Jefferson School property and open it for tours, but fundraising has been slow for the project, estimated to cost $150,000.
The school district, meanwhile, lowered the asking price for the Spruce School property to $65,000. It was the third time it cut the price since the building was put on the market in October 2012 for $90,000.
Council members did not speak in support or opposition to gaining the property.
When the issue was introduced on May 13, Alderman Don Osborne said the title issues surrounding the property made him leery.
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