ST. GEORGE — The Washington County Board of Education is considering selling the old Dixie Technical College campus for $3.9 million.
The Washington County School District first acquired the property on Dixie Drive from the city of St. George in 2017, purchasing the 33,000-square foot facility for $3.3 million.
The district originally intended to use the building as a Professional Development Center, but after the recent merger of Dixie Sun Elementary and Coral Cliffs Elementary schools, the development center was instead placed in the Coral Cliffs facilities, leaving the old Dixie Tech campus empty.
“We don’t need that property anymore because of the opportunity to put our Professional Development Center over at Coral Cliffs Elementary … So it’s just a surplus piece of property,” said Steve Dunham, communication and public relations director for the district.
After receiving an offer to purchase the building, the board approved a counteroffer at a special meeting held Tuesday.
The board’s counteroffer has to do with the buyer’s requested time frame for due diligence. The buyer initially asked for 120 days of due diligence, and the board came back and offered 90 days, with the caveat that if the buyer decides they need an additional 30 days, then $10,000 of their $45,000 earnest money would be nonrefundable if they decide to back out.
“We’ve essentially accepted their offer, we’re just shortening the amount of time for them to do their due diligence,” Dunham said.
With the exception of one no vote by Becky Dunn, every member of the board voted to approve the counteroffer.
Dunham said the board expects that the buyer will accept the offer.
The $3.9 million the district will obtain by selling the property will likely go toward capital funds to pay for things like building improvements and repairs. The board also has the option to put the money into the district’s reserve fund to save for emergencies.
“The benefit is that we have those funds freed up for additional needs throughout the district,” Dunham said.
If an agreement is reached, the board will announce it at the next board meeting on Sept. 10 at 4:30 p.m. at the Washington County School District Office at 121 W. Tabernacle Street in St. George.
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