Auction Scheduled for Oct. 3 for Former Ledgemont High School

August 20, 2015 by

The abandoned Ledgemont High School on Thompson Road in Thompson Township will be auctioned off Oct. 3.

Berkshire Schools Board of Education voted unanimously Aug. 17 to have O’Reilly Auctions of Chardon hold the 11 a.m. auction at the school. The event is open to the public.

Berkshire Schools absorbed Ledgemont Schools this past spring in a transfer of territory due to Ledgemont no longer being a fiscally viable school district.

Because enrollment had been shrinking for a number of years, and to save money, the high school was closed more than a year ago and all classes were held in the elementary school on Burrows Road last year.

Ledgemont Elementary School will stay open for kindergarten through sixth grade. Grades seven through 12 will attend Berkshire High School in Burton Village except for students who open enroll at other schools.

The Thompson Road parcel consists of 8.44 acres, according to the Geauga County auditor’s website. Estimated value of the acreage is $57,000 and the improvements to the property are estimated at nearly $3 million.

Berkshire Treasurer Beth McCaffrey said the district is waiting for a commercial appraiser to place a formal value on the property.

Funds from the sale of the property will be placed in the general fund, she said.

Berkshire Superintendent Doug DeLong said the district’s enrolled student population increased from 920 during the 2014-2015 school year to 1,228 for this year starting Aug. 25, with the influx of high school students from Thompson and Montville townships.

Several school administrators said they are in the process of shuffling classroom space and adjusting transportation, but they do not anticipate problems that can’t be solved.

“Berkshire has been great about helping us out and everything is good,” said Sandy Smith, Ledgemont Elementary School principal.