Strange But True: You Could Own the School... Literally!

The Robbinsdale School District has to determine what to do with 7 expendable buildings. Members of the district's Divestiture Plan Advisory" Committee will meet with the public on Thursday to solicit ideas on how to put them to better use or sell them. The buildings include an elementary school in Plymouth that was shut down to save money.

Committee chairwoman and Robbinsdale school board member Sherry Tyrrell said possibilities include selling the buildings, putting them to some kind of new use for the district, or even razing them and holding on to the property until the commercial real estate market improves. Leasing them is unlikely because the district would still have to maintain the buildings.

In addition to the Pilgrim Lane elementary school in Plymouth, other buildings on the list include New Hope Elementary School, the old Highview Alternative School, the Winnetka Learning Center, and Hosterman Middle School, all of which are in New Hope.  The Cavanaugh Early Childhood Center in Crystal and the Olson Elementary School in Golden Valley are the final two buildings.

All the buildings on the list need to be remodeled, but those costs are too expensive for the Robbinsdale district to justify.

The public meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at Plymouth Middle School, 10011 36th Ave N. in Plymouth, MN.