Upcoming Conversations: Future Use of LCSD Buildings
Over the past year, our district and community have navigated a tremendous amount of change. Together, we have brought school communities together, adapted to new ways of using our buildings and strengthened the foundation for LCSD’s future. Our students, families and staff have met each transition with remarkable flexibility, resilience and care for one another.
Now is the time to slow the pace, take stock of where we are and move forward in measured steps.
As we look ahead, we know there are questions about the future of buildings we no longer use exclusively as schools–specifically Lake County Intermediate School and Pitts Elementary. We have previously discussed with the Board some initial ideas about what might happen with our properties. As we have begun moving forward, we have come to understand that this work is as complex as it is important.
Some of our buildings are still being used for essential purposes such as hosting Project Dream, CCHS and Bright Start. We need time to make alternative plans and determine the timelines and resources required to support any possible transitions.
We also know—from the experiences of other school districts and from our own—that selling a property does not always happen quickly or easily. Nor does a sale necessarily generate the amount of revenue a community might expect.
Just as our school consolidation required us to consider many interconnected pieces, so does the process of determining which facilities to hold on to and which we may eventually let go of. It is a large puzzle—one we want to lay out clearly so everyone understands the choices, trade-offs and implications of the different paths forward.
Our first step will be to seek feedback and direction from the Board of Education in both their September 28 and October 26 meetings. We will ask the Board to identify the interests, priorities and values that should guide this work. From there, we will establish a clear process and timeline for future decisions, including opportunities for our community and our partners to understand and contribute to potential options.
Nothing is changing right now. We hope to enable the Board to clarify its long-term direction for these two facilities by the end of the 2026-27 school year.
All of our buildings have served generations of Lake County students and families. Decisions about their future matter, and they deserve careful consideration. Having navigated significant change together, we now have an opportunity to pause, think broadly and take our next steps with clarity and purpose—in the best interests of our students and our community.
If you are interested in this topic, we welcome you to listen in to the Board’s upcoming conversations.
Kate Bartlett
Superintendent
Lake County School District
