The Eudora school board agreed to aid the redevelopment of 15 acres of former district property by supporting an economic development tool that will help finance the construction of infrastructure improvements at the site.

At its Jan. 12 meeting, the board agreed to support the creation of a Tax Increment Financing District for the Nottingham property.

“The board recognizes the importance of the development of Nottingham,” said Eudora Superintendent Steve Splichal.

The Eudora City Commission is to have a public hearing on the formation of the TIF district at 7 p.m. Monday. It is expected to vote to create the district at the meeting that will follow the hearing. Eudora school board member Joe Hurla will speak at the public hearing, Splichal said.

The city of Eudora bought the former Nottingham Elementary School and the adjacent Law Field from the Eudora school district for $850,000 in 2015 with the goal of controlling the redevelopment of the 15-acre site on the city’s Kansas Highway 10 gateway. In April 2016, the Eudora City Commission selected the Kansas City, Mo., firm CBC Real Estate Group to develop the property and entered into a predevelopment agreement with the firm in May, which committed the city to work exclusively with CBC while the firm recruited future tenants for the property. The city and developer will eventually enter into a development agreement that ties down the responsibilities of both parties in the property’s development.

Creation of a Nottingham TIF district would allow the added property, sales and franchise taxes collected from the site’s redevelopment to be used to finance needed infrastructure improvements at the site. TIFs cannot be used to finance privately owned buildings.

By its support of the TIF district, the board agreed to allow the school district’s added property taxes from improvements to the property to be used to retire the bonds. By state statute, TIF bonds can have up to a 20-year retirement schedule.

At the board meeting, Splichal also updated the board on the ongoing search for a new principal for Eudora Middle School. Current EMS Principal Denise Kendall is retiring on June 30.

Splichal said the district currently has 31 applications, including one from an internal candidate, for the position and expects more before the Jan. 31 application deadline. Interviews will be scheduled in the second and third week of February for from four to six candidates selected from the applications, Splichal said. The goal is to recommend someone for the position to the board at its March meeting, he said.