Bids for property will be focus of PG school meeting

Pleasant Grove Independent School District trustees will hold a special session at 10 a.m. today to open and review bids for the district’s Bringle Lake property, a 16.9-acre tract next to Texas A&M University-Texarkana.

Superintendent Dr. Jason Smith said the board decided to sell the property because the district does not have plans to build a school or facility there.

“We are not in the business of investing in land,” he said. “We have a sign up that tells people to contact the district if they are interested.” He added that over the past year, PGISD has had six inquiries about the property, which is valued at $1.5 million.

“If a bid doesn’t come in at that amount, I don’t foresee the district selling the land,” he said. “The district still has the responsibility of being good stewards of the taxpayers’ money.”

The property has been a sensitive issue for the district, as it was the proposed site for a new elementary school that failed to get voter support in 2014 and 2015 bond elections. The land was purchased in 2007 from Aven Williamson for $1 million as part of a 25-acre tract. Later, the district sold eight acres back to Williamson’s family for $600,000. The district also owns 55 to 60 acres that include the intermediate campus and administration building on Pleasant Grove Road.

In July 2016, trustees considered a bid on the property from Columbia Properties, but unanimously rejected it because it was too low.

Smith said if it doesn’t sell this time, the district will simply wait for the right bidder to come along.

“It’s already paid for, so there’s no cost to us at all to have that land other than to periodically brush-hog it,” he said.