Decision pending on school razing

By Tim Yovich

Two Newton Falls businessmen want to buy the former school building.

WARREN — A magistrate in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court will render a decision Friday or Monday as to whether demolition of Arlington Elementary School in Newton Falls will be completed.

Court testimony wrapped up Wednesday after two days of hearings on the matter.

Magistrate Jason Earnhart gave attorneys representing the Newton Falls Board of Education and Dan Cadle of Cadle Co. of Newton Falls, who is seeking the injunction to stop the demolition, until today to file briefs.

The magistrate said he will review the briefs and have a decision by Friday or Monday.

Cadle filed the complaint seeking the injunction as a taxpayer alleging the school board abused its discretion when it agreed to raze the building, which is no longer in use.

William E. Shaulis, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Cadle Co., testified that two school levies to build and remodel district school buildings had gone down to defeat because voters didn’t want any buildings demolished.

It wasn’t until the board said no buildings will be razed that voters approved a 2.8-mill bond issue to pay 19 percent of a $20 million school building project that called for a new middle school, renovated elementary building and upgraded junior/senior high school.

The Ohio School Facilities Commission agreed to pay 81 percent of the cost.

Shaulis told the court that it wasn’t until recently that he heard Arlington would be demolished.

He questioned why the board would pay what will amounts to $184,000 to raze the building when it was appraised at $110,000. Cadle, he said, offered $150,000 for the facility.

Shaulis testified that Cadle Co. never talked with schools Superintendent David Wilson nor the board about purchasing it. He said the board can use the property for athletic fields if used prudently.

He termed demolition of Arlington “a gross misuse of funds.”

Dave Rapczak of Newton Falls, who owns a collection agency, testified he has offered to pay $110,000 for the building and move his businesses into it. With his companies and through renting office space, Rapczak said he could create 50 to 100 new jobs in 24 to 36 months.

He told the court that if he could purchase the old school building, the board could use the athletic fields adjacent to it.

Wilson testified that the board’s focus was to keep the middle school, not Arlington.

The athletic fields next to Arlington receive a lot of use, and it would be costly to build new fields on the main campus because of wetland, Wilson explained. He didn’t know where the pupils would play sports if Arlington were sold with its 5.3 acres.

Wilson, the city’s former mayor, said he also is concerned that if the building were sold it might become an eyesore.

yovich@vindy.com