Residents vote to keep school, sell former town office

PERU — Residents this week agreed to keep the former Peru Elementary School as a community resource, and rejected a proposal to retain ownership of the former town office site.

The ballot count Tuesday was 448-316 to keep the school, and 353-402 to continue searching for a new owner for the former town office and surrounding lot.

Selectmen's Chairman Jim Pulsifer said the town hopes to lease some of the space in the old school to organizations or businesses. The newer part of the school, an addition at the rear of the main building, became the new home of the town offices more than a year ago.

The school was returned to the town when SAD 21 built Dirigo Elementary School along Route 108 a couple of years ago.

Pulsifer said the town conducted a survey last summer that showed a majority of residents wanted to keep the 55-year-old school. It has been used for suppers, but the town wants to expand its use. The referendum question asked residents whether they wanted to take $15,000 from surplus to maintain the building.

He said one education-related business has shown interest in using a portion of it. Whether a contract can be worked out should be known within the next 10 days. Also, he said several of the town-related departments, such as the Recreation Department, Historical Society and Fire Department, have also had ideas for its use.

The board will likely establish an ad hoc committee within the next week or two to review ideas for using the school.

The second question was prompted by a request by the road department to expand its space to a portion of the old town office lot.

"When the road department needs more room, we'll work it out," Pulsifer said.

The town has placed both the town office and its lot, along with the former Grange hall, both located on the Peru Center Road, on the market. Pulsifer said the rejection of the referendum question means residents still want to find buyers for both buildings.

Both structures are historically significant. The former Rockemeka Grange Hall was built during the late 19th century and the former town office, which had previously served as a school, was built in the mid-1800s,  Pulsifer said.

eadams@sunjournal.com