Four Proposals Competing for MLK School

By scott
(1 votes) (report abuse)
Documents
MLKBidBushSchool.pdf
(549 KB file)
MLKBidHamlinRobinsonSchool.pdf
(2.1 MB file)
MLKBidCitizensCommunityCenter.pdf
(7.1 MB file)
MLKBidAMEChurch.pdf
(3.4 MB file)

It's like a school re-use battle royale. In one corner, we have a well-known and very expensive private school. In another corner we have a much less well-known special needs school from south Seattle. In the third corner we have an influential church. And finally we have a dedicated group of Madison Valley citizens who want a community center for their neighborhood. All four are competing to take over the old MLK Elementary School property in Madison Valley, which has been vacant since 2006 and surplussed by the school district.

CDNews requested and received all four proposals from the school district, and after reviewing them can say that they break out into two general categories: private education and higher bid amounts, vs. community services bidding at the minimum amount of the school district's solicitation for bids.

Here's the details for each:

The Bush School is offering the largest cash bid at $3,750,000 to buy the property outright, tear down the buildings, and create playfields for school use. They also proposed alternatives of $262,000/yr long-term lease and $1,750,000 + $140,000/yr. The fields would be for daytime-use only (no lights), and locked at dusk each day. Otherwise, the Bush proposal also says that the fields will be open to community use "when not in use for our programs" and will take pressure off of other nearby parks facilities.

Hamlin Robinson School has the second highest bid, offering a 5-year lease at $108,000/yr, and a $3,200,000 purchase of the property sometime within that five years. The school, currently headquartered in south Seattle, serves students with dyslexia and other language-related learning difficulties in grades 1-8. Their current location on 12th Ave S is difficult to reach for some families, and is too small for their current operations. The school makes no mention of community use of the MLK property if they were to win the bid. Letters of support for the Hamlin Robinson proposal include City Councilmember Nick Licata and basketball star Detlef Schrempf.

Citizens for a Community Center at MLK offered the minimum bid of $2,400,000, and several alternative bids that include a long-term lease at up to $65,000/year. Most of their funding would come from a state grant, plus corporate and private donations to make up the difference. They would keep the buildings on the property, and use them as a home base for a variety of neighborhood activities, recreation, and community meetings, and they would rent space within the building to other community service organizations for adult education, youth activities, and the arts.

First AME church offered the minimum bid of $2,400,000, and proposes to use state and private funds to acquire the school and make it the home for their many social-service programs, including Head Start, their Fatherhood Program, middle and high school educational enhancement, and computer skills classes.

Part of the background drama preceding the submission of bids was an attempt to get First AME to team up with CCC@MLK, so that a single community-based proposal could be made to the school district. That effort didn't work out, leading to two separate community organizations each submitting bids and proposing to use state funds to complete the purchase.

The school board will make the final decision and pick a winning bid. A vote on that is expected sometime in January 2010.

Previous story: Two competing proposals for MLK School

tags: MLK Elementary, Bush School, First AME, CCC@MLK + add tags
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location: Madison ValleySeattle, Washington
posted on Wed, Nov 04, 2009 10:30 AM
last updated on Wed, Nov 04, 2009 10:35 AM
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Thanks for pulling all the information together byAndrew Taylor3 months ago (0 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
Will we do it all again for the Mann and TT Minor schools? Not for some years, I think.
TT Minor andDemographics byjoanna3 months ago (0 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
The demographics around TT Minor clearly demonstrate that it would be an ideal location for a school. In the north end citizens just by virtue of demographics have advocated to open 5 schools next year based on demographics, some not nearly as good as the TT Minor neighborhood. There parents and citizens are engaged by the district to determine programs to be located in those neighborhoods. A group in Queen Ann has been meeting for some time to advocate for schools and programs in the area. This area must come together to ensure we have any schools here.

The reality is that Mann makes an excellent location for any program that should be centrally located.
both school are expensive! bySeattleAnnie3 months ago (0 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
Just checked the websites of both...Hamlin Robinson may be lesser known but it's still $16K a year, while Bush is $18K. You should be calling BOTH extremely expensive. I think it should go to the highest bidder and take the money and put it back into active and open public schools. Books, music, arts. It seems a shame to leave money on the table when our schools need so much! Three million dollars could do so much for our school system! PS I lived for several years with small children on 29th, just a few blocks from MLK. We always used the playground there as a community playground. Maybe that could be written into the sale or lease?
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