SCRANTON — The Scranton School District is putting the sites of two former schools on the auction block.
Both Lincoln-Jackson Elementary School on Academy Street and the site of the old Samuel Morse School on Farr Street are being put up for auction.
School board president Bob Sheridan said it was time to put both properties up for sale after years of being left untouched.
“We are in a deficit,” he said. “We’re still in an $18 million deficit and we’re looking for any income we can put back into the budget to make sure the education for our children is strong.”
For people in the neighborhood, it’s about more than just an old building. It’s about the tie to the past.
Mike Passero lives right across the street from the old Lincoln-Jackson Elementary, where his family has lived since 1917. His great-grandparents even became U.S. citizens at the school.
“We would love to see the whole building rehabilitated,” said Passero. “It’s a fixture and the oldest school district property in Scranton.”
Tiffany Price spent many days on the playground here and hopes the new owner helps the area with the revitalized space.
“You hear curfews and kids don’t want to listen,” Price added. “I remember being a kid and doing things. They don’t have enough for the youth to do and I think that’s the problem. They should open it and do something for the youth.”
But for Ron Mikolayczak, saving the building is a lost cause.
“The wall keeps crumbling,” he added. “It’s never going to stay. They have to do something with this yard, and it’s going to cost a fortune to get rid of it.”
The auction is scheduled for July 7.
