Willmar, Minn., School Board closes regular meeting this afternoon to discuss Garfield building sale

WILLMAR -- The Willmar School Board has closed its regularly scheduled meeting this afternoon to discuss the sale of the Garfield School property.

The School Board closed the meeting today to discuss an offer from the city of Willmar concerning the Garfield School property.

City officials are reportedly interested in the south half of the Garfield property, also referred to as park land.

Superintendent Jerry Kjergaard had previously said, in a news release issued Thursday, that the school board would not likely discuss the potential sale until its Oct. 10 meeting.

The Islamic Society made an offer a month ago to purchase the Garfield building, located at 512 Eighth St. S.W. in Willmar, and the north half of the property.

According to Kjergaard, the Islamic Society of Willmar had not responded to a counteroffer from the district by Wednesday.

The district had made an informal request that the society respond by that date so that the district would have time to prepare documents for today's board meeting.

Kjergaard wrote in the earlier news release that if the society accepted the counteroffer, the potential sale would most likely be discussed again at the next regular meeting of the school board on Oct. 10.

Read more on the school board meeting Tuesday in the West Central Tribune.