After nearly three months and a steady interest, an offer has been made on the former Shady Grove School property, the Unified School District 428 School Board learned Tuesday afternoon.
However, the board hesitated accepting the $50,000 bid since the asking price is $86,000. So, it opted to make a counter offer, cutting the price by 15 percent to $73,000.
“That’s quite a bit off the appraised value,” said board President Dwight Young of the offer during the luncheon meeting in the Great Bend High School library.
But, “there is a very limited market for this property,” said district Business Director Dan  Brungardt. Although local real estate agents are still showing it, this marked the first offer. “You have to consider the market.”
The party will now have 72 hours to consider the counter offer. Should they reject it, the property will be listed for the $73,000 instead of $86,000.
If it fails to sell, it will eventually be sold at auction.
The property includes the original school house and an attached gym built in 1972, and two acres of land.
Located at 150 SW 40th Ave., across from the Great Bend Municipal Airport, the structure covers nearly 5,000 square feet with a kitchen and two half  bathrooms. The gym has been divided into offices and meeting rooms.
Dating back to 1929, Shady Grove ceased being an actual school in 1991. Up until this fall, it housed Barton County Special Services, a county-wide cooperative serving children with special needs. The cooperative moved to Washington Early Childhood Center in Great Bend this year.
In other business, the board:
• Continued work on a policy governing student fund raising. The goals of the board for the policy are come up with a master fund-raising calendar for the district, prohibit an entire student body from being “punished” if sales targets aren’t met and stop the practice of giving time off from school as a prize. After board member suggestions were added, the policy will be distributed to building principals who will gather input from teachers and parent groups. It may be on the agenda by December.
• Heard a report from GBHS Principal Tim Friess about new programs at the school that help struggling students. First was the Panther Enrichment Program (PEP) which meets before and after school in the library. Teachers offer tutoring and a quiet opportunity for the students to do homework and study. It is voluntary, but teachers do contact parents if they believe a child could use the help. Friess said the teachers have been very supportive of PEP. Second was the Academic Program for Success which takes place during the school day and is intended for students who are having difficulty with the English language.
• Learned the high school is going to apply for a grant that would help establish a health services curriculum at GBHS.
• Approved a contribution from the Great Bend Sara Lee store which recently facilitated a community-supported sales event for Park Elementary School. A total of $154.29 was contributed to the school.