Harlan County School Board members agreed Thursday who should be given the first opportunity to purchase the Evarts and Cumberland high school buildings when they are closed later this spring.

Board member Arlene Brown, who represents the Clover Fork area, said the city government in Evarts should have the first opportunity to buy Evarts High School.

The board also discussed interest expressed by Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College officials to purchase Cumberland High School and transform it into the home for the school’s allied health program.

Board attorney Johnnie Turner said the board had three options in transferring the properties, including bids, an auction or selling it at or above appraised value.

The district recently received appraisals of $400,000 for Cumberland High School, $175,000 for Evarts High School and $15,000 for a parking lot across from Evarts High School.

The Evarts United Methodist Church recently expressed interest in buying a small building on the EHS campus and another small parking lot, both located next to church. Evarts Mayor Burl Fee said at a previous school board meeting that he had no problem with the church purchasing the building and parking lot, but a separate appraisal on that section of the school property has yet to be submitted. Turner said the cost of the building and parking lot sought by the church would reduce the $175,000 appraisal on the school if the two are sold separately.

The board voted to declare both schools as surplus property so they can be sold and the district can begin negotiations with the city of Evarts and Southeast.

The board also approved transferring money being used to pay off bonds for new construction to a building fund to allow the remainder of the facility plan to be completed, including a new Wallins Elementary School.

“They are moving money from the general fund that’s already committed to pay bonded indebtedness (for school construction) to the building fund,” assistant superintendent Mike Howard said in explanation after the meeting.

“That will help the process get started to possibly finish things at Wallins Elementary School,” added Farmer, who said the move would help the district receive more state money when it becomes available.

In other action, the board agreed to adopt the job description and salary table for the position of law enforcement officer and to create three positions in the new classifications.

Jim Middleton, the district’s safe schools coordinator, said the officers would be employees of the school district and “have arrested powers like deputies and the state police.”

Superintendent Tim Saylor said a minimum of three years of law enforcement experience will be required.

Middleton noted the county district would be “getting academy trained officers. A lot of districts are going that route.”