The Baldwin school district’s administrative offices may be moved to a new community center if voters approve funding for the facility in November.

Superintendent Paul Dorathy told the Baldwin school board of that possibility at its meeting Monday after providing an update on negotiations with Baker University about the university’s interest in purchasing two Chapel Street properties.

The school board agreed in February to talk with Baker about its interest in purchasing the district office and maintenance buildings in the 700 block of Chapel Street and the vacant square block it owns north of the 500 block of Chapel Street. The district office and maintenance building are bordered on the east, south and west by Baker property, and the vacant lot abuts university property to the south.

Andy Jett, Baker vice president of strategic planning and academic resources, told the Journal-World last month the university was interested in the properties so that it could secure its northern boundary for future needs.

Dorathy said there was little to report as talks were on hold while Baker officials worked to get evaluations on the two properties to share with the district.

Should the properties be sold, the district would be looking for a new district office. Dorathy said Baldwin City Parks and Recreation Director Steve Friend suggested district offices, perhaps with conference and board rooms, could be part of a new community center.

Last month, the school district approved making about 2.5 acres of land it owns north of Baldwin High School available for a community center should voters approve a bond issue in November financing its construction. Dorathy said he told Friend the district would have an interest in exploring such an arrangement should the city agree to move forward on a bond issue.

The Baldwin City Council is reviewing the community center with other proposed building projects in preparation to crafting the city’s 2017 budget, The other projects include a new public works headquarters, a new police station, expansion of City Hall and a theater at the Lumberyard Arts Center.

Dorathy was less encouraging to Friend about the district being part of any property tax financing of the community center, an arrangement that would capture the district’s tax base, which is larger than that of the city.

“I said I couldn’t speak for the board, but I thought there would be little interest for the district increasing property taxes for that project,” he said.

Although much is still unknown, the board might be forced to increase property taxes under a school finance plan the Kansas Legislature approved in March before the end of the regular session. The legislation would decrease the amount of state equalization payments that supports the district’s local option budget. That would force the district to rely more on local tax dollars to maintain classroom funding at this year’s level, Dorothy said.

The Kansas Supreme Court is to rule in early May on whether the legislation meets its demand for equitable education funding for the state’s school districts.

It was unknown what would happen should the court rule against the legislation, Dorathy said. The Legislature could tweak the bill in response to justices’ objections or leave it as is and let the court decide how to proceed, an action that could lead the courts to close schools until the Legislature acts, Dorathy said.

In other action, the board:

• Came to general agreement that Baldwin High School students could make a graduation present to themselves of the iPads they have carried for the past three years.

Although it didn’t take formal action, board members voiced support of the plan that would allow seniors to purchase the iPads for $200. The iPads are part of the first lot of 475 the district purchased after the board voted in March 2013 to provide the devices to all high school students. The iPads follow high school students from year to year.

• Learned its 2016-17 assessment in support of the East Central Kansas Cooperative in Education would increase by about $40,000 from the current school year. Dorathy said he and superintendents from Eudora and Wellsville agreed to increase the cooperative’s budget because of concerns about cash flow.