$894,000. That’s what Forest G. Hay Elementary school will sell for after a vote at Monday night’s South Bend School Board meeting.
The corporation closed Hay Elementary School in 2021 and had leased been leasing the building to the South Bend Hebrew Day School since. Monday night, the Orthodox Jewish school came one step closer to being the outright owner of the property, after a 5-1 vote in favor of the purchase.
With an enrollment close to 240 students, South Bend Hebrew Day School Board President Josh Solomon says the school has really benefited from locating at Hay.
“Our student population keeps growing, and from the facilities standpoint, Hay helps us in the short term, and with this purchase, can help us in the long term too," Solomon said. "The move to Hay was always with the intention of purchasing the property, but it wasn’t allowed at that time. There is a state law requiring school districts to sell vacated schools to charter schools for $1.”
A 2011 Indiana law, known as the “Dollar Law,” requires school districts to sell or lease unused or underutilized school buildings to charter schools or higher education institutions for $1. The law gives those institutions 90 days after the original school closes to make an offer to receive the $1 price.
Tarkington Elementary School closed its doors the same time Hay Elementary did. Indianapolis-based charter school Paramount School of Excellence took over Tarkington in 2021. Taking advantage of the Dollar Law, Paramount was able to invest more money into renovating their building.
The South Bend Hebrew Day School did not qualify for this discount because it is not a charter school, but rather a parochial school. It still plans to renovate, but with $894,000 going towards the purchase of the building, it will have to prioritize the improvements.
“The building needs a lot of work, and it’s work we couldn’t do before," Solomon said. "We have an amazing relationship with the school district, but when it’s your house, it’s your problem. We’d rather it be our problem.”
With the sale of the property to the South Bend Hebrew Day School, both parties benefit. The school can focus on long term goals and the South Bend School District receives $650,000 of the $894,000 price tag — funds they would not receive from a charter school purchase.
“It’s a win for our school,” Solomon said. “It’s a win for the South Bend School District. It’s an all-around win for South Bend.”
