Board approves sale of Metcalf Middle School property

At its April 28 meeting, the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District 191 Board of Education approved a purchase agreement for the Metcalf Middle School property for a total of $12.3 million. 

“I realize letting go of the Metcalf property will be difficult for many in our community,” said Superintendent Dr. Theresa Battle. “The building has served District 191 for more than 50 years, becoming a place where young people and educators and families grew and built community together. That history will never change, even if the buildings on that piece of property do.” 

The District is working to receive a legislative exemption that will allow any proceeds of the sale beyond what’s required to pay off the building’s existing debt to be transferred to the district's general fund and used for programming expenses, instead of only for capital expenditures. That exemption is moving through the legislature now, and if approved, the sale would result in approximately $5.5 million going to the district’s general fund.

In general, items inside the building will be reused or sold, where possible, and otherwise recycled or discarded. A detailed process for handling items inside and around the building, such as the outdoor chess board, will be developed in the coming weeks. 

Information about potential future uses of the property are not available for release by the district at this time. 

John Metcalf was the first superintendent for the newly created School District 191, serving from 1955 to 1967. The school was named in his honor and opened in August 1966, serving students in grades 7-9 until 2016 when it was converted to Metcalf Middle School, serving grades 6-8. It was closed after the 2019-20 school year due to declining enrollment in District 191, but served as a site for child care and meal service during the pandemic.