AUBURN – The school system has handed the old Franklin Alternative School building over to the city. School officials hope its sale will benefit Auburn’s other aging schools.

The Auburn School Committee voted unanimously Wednesday to vacate the 22 Pine St. building, which was built before the Civil War. For years, the building housed the city’s Franklin Alternative School. Franklin Alternative staff and students moved to the former Chamberlain School building on High Street earlier this year.

State law lets the School Department transfer the building to the city for sale. A few weeks ago, the City Council agreed to accept the old Franklin building and use the money from its sale to pay for future school capital projects. The School Committee’s Wednesday vote gave the city official power to take the building.

School officials have not done a recent appraisal on the property. The city’s Web site places its value at $268,500.