The Ohio School Facilities Commission says it will likely cost $1 million to demolish an aging school building. A staggering $800,000 of that money would be slated for the funding of asbestos removal. For the first time in 132 years, students will not be attending the Cortland, Ohio school that started life as Cortland High School and is now used to house the elementary school.

The school board has shut the building, and moved students into other buildings. The school’s future is uncertain, but it will likely be put up for sale in an auction be held this fall, according to Robert Wilson, Lakeview district superintendent. By law, the school district had to offer the building for sale first to any private schools in the district. However, there are none.

A couple of weeks ago, Mayor Curt Moll of Cortland toured the building with Don Wittman, city service director. The city did have plans to buy the building for use as a community and senior center. However, the city will not follow through with that plan. According to Moll, the building “wasn’t made to be anything but a school.”

Moll estimates that tearing down the building would cost between $500,000 and $1 million. Wilson says the number is closer to $1 million, according to an estimate generated by the Ohio School Facilities Commission. The asbestos present in the building is encapsulated. “You can sell it [the building] like it is, but if you demolish it, that’s where it gets difficult,” Wilson said.

Asbestos exposure has been linked to mesothelioma and other illnesses, and removal of the substance prior to demolition or renovations is required by law.

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