6/11/13 - The sale of the mothballed Lindbom School in Brighton may have to wait a little longer. The Brighton Area Schools has been banking on the sale to help balance the budget, which is out of whack by about half-a-million dollars this year due to a combination of factors. In addition, the district has a legacy deficit of over $7 million that the state says has to be paid off by the end of next year, and proceeds from the sale of the school canât be used to help pay off the long-term deficit. A party has been keenly interested in purchasing the land and building but heard a rumor the site might be contaminated and asked that it be tested. Although the property is regularly tested and monitored via a series of monitoring wells, the district complied, ordering a test costing $3,500. Superintendent Greg Gray says the problem stems from several decades ago involving industries on the northwest side of town; however, Gray tells WHMI the school districtâs regular testing over the years has shown no contamination at the Lindbom property. Assistant Superintendent of Finance Maria Gistinger told the board Monday that the potential buyerâs concerns werenât about water contamination, since Lindbom is on city water, but potential air and soil contamination. Gistinger says if Lindbom isnât sold by the end of the fiscal year on June 30, then the final budget for the year will show a deficit of up to $656,000. Conversely, if Lindbom is sold by that time, the revised budget will reflect a surplus of about $500,000. Gray says the test results should be known within the next week. (TT)
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