by Rebecca Peter,
Mid-America Publishing
The Garner-Hayfield-Ventura Board of Education approved a resolution for the sale of the school district property at Ventura to KAH Enterprises, LLC of Clear Lake for $1.5 million. No objections to the sale were heard during the public hearing on June 12.
There is a 60-day “due diligence period” before the sale becomes final in September, according to GHV Superintendent Ken Kasper.
The sale includes the two-story main classroom building (originally built in 1923); a one-story former elementary classroom building, bus barn and athletic fields. The approximate closing date for the purchase is Sept. 1.
Clear Lake Classical is a private, non-profit Christian school, founded in 2014. Approximately 140 students, Grades PreK-12, from the Hancock, Cerro Gordo and Winnebago County area are enrolled in the school.
Several individuals with connections to either Clear Lake Classical or Redeemer Preschool spoke during the hearing and were supportive of the sale.
Kent Hall of Clear Lake, a registered agent with KAH Enterprises LLC, facilitated the sale of the property under terms of an agreement with Clear Lake Classical. He described himself as “a friend of the school.” Hall said, “I’m just here to help the process out,.”
Just before the closing date, Hall will transfer his purchase agreement to Clear Lake Classical “and they will be the actual buyers at that time,” he said.
“We’re excited,” said Alex Olson of Mason City, president of the Clear Lake Classical board. “Not just for Clear Lake Classical, but also for the community. We see an opportunity here to keep [Redeemer Preschool] going. We think that’s very important. We understand you do as well.”
Olson said Clear Lake Classical is working through some of the details with Redeemer.
“It is a school and our heart is to have it continue as a school,” Olson said. “We are excited to get going and work through this due diligence time frame and use it as a school.”
The Ventura and Garner-Hayfield School Districts entered into a whole grade sharing arrangement in 2012 and merged in 2015. Classes for Grades 5-8 were held at Ventura until 2019 when, due to declining enrollment and the cost of staffing and operating 4 buildings, the main classroom building at Ventura was closed, and all students were brought to Garner.
The former elementary building was renamed the GHV Education Center. In recent years, Redeemer Day Care Center and Four Oaks Family and Child Services leased classrooms in the building.
The school board listed the Ventura School properties for sale with CBRE of Des Moines.
“I think we have a very positive relationship up to this point,” remarked GHV Superintendent Ken Kasper. “One of the things I shared with Alex and Kent … there are some communities that partner very well. If you go a little bit west of here, sometimes there are two private schools in one community and one public school, and they work together very well.”
Kasper continued, “I think we’ve started that process. I look forward to moving forward to seeing how we can make education at GHV and Clear Lake Classical even better.”
In a later comment, Alex Olson said, “We have seen God move in miraculous ways the last 10 years. I have complete confidence that the generosity of this community can come up with much more than $1.5 million.”
Clear Lake Classical has a 25-member staff for Pre-K through grades 12. Classes are held at two locations: at 408 Mars Hill Drive in Clear Lake and at the Clear Lake Evangelical Free Church.
Olson said the sale is a win for GHV, for Clear Lake Classical, for Redeemer Daycare Center and the Ventura community.
“The Garner-Hayfield-Ventura District has been great to work with,” Olson commented. “We enjoyed working with [Superintendent Kasper] and a couple of the board members we met with. They’ve been very generous with their time. We were very happy to hear that they thought we were good partners too. So we see this as the beginning of a positive journey.”
In a later comment, Kari Markla, director of Redeemer Day Care Center said, “Honestly, it’s a win-win alternative for us. It’s much better than having to leave our building. That would have been rough.”
Redeemer Day Care, which serves 196 children, had submitted a bid to purchase the elementary building.
“It would have been nice if the school board had taken our bid into consideration too, but it’s a blessing to be able to stay in the building,” said Markla.
