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The Minot School Board took steps toward the sale of three properties at its meeting Thursday, Sept. 10.
Jefferson Elementary will be going on the auction block, while a lot near Magic City Campus and property near Erik Ramstad Middle School will be appraised.
Jefferson is a former elementary school in the southeast corner of the city. The building was built in 1959. The school closed in 2021 and has since been used as a storage facility, according to district information. The property has received minimal updates in recent years and would likely require a new heating system to be usable. Appraisers also found the flooring to be at the end of its physical life in several areas, with various tiles either cracked, broken or completely missing throughout the building.
The market value, as is, is $630,000, according to appraisers.
The board decided to facilitate a sale through an auction, a method used in selling the former Bell School in February.
"We might not have as much interest this time, but I think the process proved successful once and we should use it again for a similar building," board member Scott Louser said.
The property at 1801 Aspen Circle SW near Magic City Campus requires an appraisal as the first step toward a sale. The district has used the property as a site for the high school construction technology program to build houses. It no longer is used for that purpose, Superintendent Scott Faul said, noting it is in a cul-de-sac in a desirable area for residential.
The board approved seeking an appraisal for the Aspen Circle property. It approved getting a second appraisal on a portion of the district-owned Idlewild land south of Ramstad school, previously appraised at about $1 million.
"There's some belief that this land might be worth more than when it was first appraised," Faul said. The property consists of about 27.69 acres, platted into 127 parcels, including 126 two-family residential lots.
Faul added the recommendation is to hold off on selling property east of Ramstad school until the district gets more clarity on future use.
"We want to make sure that we have what we need as a district moving forward before we go down this path of appraisal and the sale of vacant property," he said.
The board also held a public hearing on the proposed budget. No one from the public appeared with questions or comments.
A $36.73 million property tax request in the proposed 2026-27 budget could mean somewhat lower tax bills for many Minot property owners, depending on whether offsetting increases in their property valuations occur.
Although the district is looking at a dollar levy that is about 1.38% higher than the current year, the district’s overall valuation also has increased and the mill levy is down about 5 mills.