To the editor:

Regarding the article on the sale of Baldwin school buildings, a few further points are needed. 1. The district residents are the true owners of the building, and the school board is the entrusted custodian. 2. It is their duty to endeavor to achieve the highest purchase price possible, which should require a professional marketing plan to include extensive notification through various forms of advertising and consider various forms of sale venues. 3. It is not their duty and it should not be their prerogative to choose to eliminate a professional selling agent. Stick to what you know and know that good agents produce results which far outweigh the cost of the commission. 

1. All properties should have and should have had, at least one appraisal. And all good appraisals will acknowledge “functional obsolescence” and reflect that in a lower value conclusion. 5. Then, after all attempts have concluded, the board should examine their options, use their good judgment and initiate “plan B.”

I would not expect the in-town school building to command a $400,000-plus price. But I do believe we should have expected and received a higher sale price on Marion Springs Elementary. But without following a profession plan, we will never know.