West Greene votes against converting former Graysville Elementary into rehab center
ROGERSVILLE – After an outpouring of resistance from residents, the West Greene School Board decided not to donate the former Graysville Elementary building to a local anti-drug coalition that wanted to turn it into an inpatient rehabilitation facility.
“I support the coalition and what they’re doing,” said board member Clarence Cassiday. “We need the help and we need their services, but I do not agree with the sale for $1. There are plenty of churches in Greene County and they can certainly come up with the money to purchase a facility.”
The board voted 2-6 at its Thursday night meeting against a proposal from the Coalition for a Brighter Greene to buy the building from the school district for $1.
The coalition would have fundraised $400,000 worth of renovations to the building before handing it off to Teen Challenge, a Christian-based, national recovery nonprofit. Teen Challenge would then fund the operation of the building and start out with eight to 10 beds for Greene County residents who need substance abuse treatment.
John Johnson, a member of the coalition, said that they are already looking into other buildings that could potentially be used as an inpatient drug treatment facility in Greene County.
“This won’t be the end of our efforts,” he said.
Cassiday encouraged the audience to do what they can to help spread awareness and find another location for a rehab facility because “the problem’s not going away.”
Out of the 100 people who attended the meeting, most did not want the former school building – which closed in June 2015 after the district consolidated its two elementary schools – to become Greene County’s first inpatient rehab center.
Tony Fell, of Wind Ridge, who strongly opposed the rehab center idea, asked those who shared his opinion to stand up with him in solidarity. Nearly the entire room stood.
“How is bringing these addicts into our district going to help our children’s education?” Fell asked the board. “We have a chance to put the Graysville elementary building on the tax roll for the first time ever. Every bit of tax that you keep on the roll helps us.”
At their June meeting, the board gave the public a chance to ask questions of the coalition and voice opinions about the proposal.
Some were in favor of the facility, like Don and Lynn Bird, whose two daughters both were West Greene graduates and each died from heroin overdoses in 2014. Others, who returned in an even greater number Thursday, wanted the building to be sold to keep the money in the district and the property put on the tax rolls. Several people also had concerns about safety regarding the facility and the potential increase of crime.
Those who opposed the motion collected a petition of 438 signatures from residents who didn’t want to board to donate the building as a rehab facility and gave it to the board Thursday.
Andrew Wise, Gray Township supervisor, said that more than 50 percent of the residents in his township don’t want the facility to be used for drug treatment.
Board members Timothy Mankey and Daniele Frye were the only two who voted in favor of the coalition’s proposal.
Mike Pikula said the board had “sleepless nights” over this decision. While he voted no to the motion, he also emphasized the need for the audience to help find a solution to the opioid epidemic and to not let their arguments over this particular facility “tear our community apart.”
“I’m in favor of facilities of this kind in Greene County,” he said. “I’m not voting no because I don’t think the facility is needed. Please understand the community still has a problem.”
Board member Kelly Loughman said that through the months of discussion with the coalition, her personal opinions about drug users and the epidemic have shifted.
“You have opened my eyes to the problem and I wanted to let you know that,” she said, addressing members of the coalition. “I don’t think it would bring crime to our district. I’m looking at this decision fiscally and this is asking our district to sacrifice future revenue.”
At the end of the meeting, the coalition’s members thanked the board for hearing their proposal.
Loughman said they have not had any new offers on the building. After the discussion at the June meeting, the board rejected, with a 3-5 vote, an offer from GNAC LLC to purchase the Graysville Elementary building for $120,000.