­SHERBURN — The Martin County West School Board this week delved into the history and challenges of the Welcome school site, but made no final decision on the building’s fate.

The board’s ruminations came at a mandated public hearing on the topic. Superintendent Allison Schmidt told the board it is a state law that a school cannot be closed until a public meeting is held on the necessity and practicability of the possibility.

The reasons for the proposal include: the building is not being used for educational purposes; declining enrollment is anticipated for the next five years; there are budget shortfalls in the upcoming years and there is deterioration of the district’s financial stability; a significant portion of the building is in serious disrepair, with some areas uninhabitable because of unsafe conditions; restoring the site would be cost-prohibitive; programs operated at the building can be relocated; and the cost of repairs exceeds the cost of moving operations to other locations.

The Welcome site was built in 1906, with upgrades to the ventilation system in 1930. Three additions were built, with a gym, labs and storage in 1938. Classrooms were added north of the original school in 1951. In 1957, the east gym, classrooms and offices were added to the east of the original school.

The gymnastics program — a cooperative with the Fairmont district — is located solely at the Welcome school.

There is a Minnesota West farm business Management program leasing space on the first floor on the east side of the Welcome site for $4,500 per year. The cost of internet, custodial time, utilities and maintenance eat up most of the lease monies.

One of the tables in Schmidt’s report lists the costs to operate the Welcome school at $237,130 for 2018-2019, with revenue at $40,052.

The site’s needed repair costs include the boilers, estimated at $80,000. There also would be costs to remove asbestos throughout the school. Mold and poor air quality are concerning to an environmental health and safety consultant. The consultant also believes the bleachers in the gymnastics gym are not safe.

Another consultant reported health and safety concerns, citing needed repairs to wiring, railings and ceiling tiles.

Repairing entry points so bats cannot continue to enter is also a concern.

Two possible options were reported. One is demolition of the west side of the building and updating the east side. This would offer 12,000 square feet of gym space for $5.8 million, not counting the removal of asbestos and other materials, estimated to cost $750,000, and work on the parking lot.

Option 2 is demolition of the west side of the building, updating the east side and restructuring use of the gyms throughout the district at an estimated cost of $3.7 million, not counting asbestos removal and other materials, work on bleachers, work on dehumidification and the parking lot.

Results of an April 2019 survey were reported, with 70 percent of those responding approving tearing down the school.

Plans for programs if the Welcome site is closed are: preschool to be moved to Trimont and Sherburn schools and ECFE to Trimont; gymnastics co-op with Fairmont and a possible move to Cutting Edge; extracurricular activities would utilize the three other schools’ gymnasiums, with practices scheduled earlier and later, with busing available.

Many of the repairs are expensive and the sealed bids process for the work must be done soon if the work is to be started or done by the time school starts. Funding for the projects also needs to be arranged.

Welcome has not been used for educational purposes and likely will not be, so this may force the school district to close the school.

The school board, along with the buildings and grounds committee, recommends that the school be closed, then the district can receive input and make efficient decisions about the future of the building without leaving those decisions to Mother Nature or state agencies.

The school board expressed gratitude to the public for the many letters and phone calls submitted on the topic. The letters will be posted on the district website.

A special meeting about the Welcome school will be scheduled at the next school board meeting, June 15, and will be held no later than June 30.