GRPS approves sale of Stocking building

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - The Grand Rapids Public Schools Board of Education met Monday night for the first time after extending the contract of its interim superintendent.

The school approved the sale of the Stocking Elementary School building to Ojibway Development for $535,000. The GRPS Finance Committee met with Ojibway Development last week and moved to approve the sale.

Stocking was closed in 2010. There were plans to turn the site into a park, but those never came to fruition.

Ojibway purchased three other GRPS properties in June of 2011.

Another issue on the agenda was the first list of proposals under the district's "Warm, Safe and Dry" project. It's part of a millage Grand Rapids voters approved in November 2011 to repair city schools.

The meeting was the first since Interim Superintendent Teresa Weatherall-Neal's contract was extended from six to 18 months on Jan. 23 after she received positive support from the community. At the same time, the school board's search for a new permanent superintendent was suspended.

Weatherall-Neal was appointed interim superintendent in early January afte r Dr. Bernard Taylor, who was already set at the end of this school year, went on study leave.

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Though it was reported that the school would receive a donation of AEDs from the Wes Leonard Foundation, a board member told 24 Hour News 8 that that wasn't true, and that the board isn't aware of any such donation.