Starke County Community Foundation to Lease Space in Former N.J.-S.P. Middle School

Posted on October 19, 2016
Author Michael Gallenberger, WKVI

The Starke County Community Foundation will soon be renting some office space in the former North Judson-San Pierre Middle School building. A lease agreement was approved Tuesday by the N.J.-S.P. School Board, at the recommendation of Superintendent Annette Zupin. “With the middle school space available, we do recognize partnerships can provide a number of benefits for the school community,” she said. “Sharing the space with Starke County Community Foundation can create a strong relationship between school and community. It also can preserve our community-centered school. Activity in that school is better than inactivity, so we are thrilled about this agreement here.”

Under the agreement, the Community Foundation will pay N.J.-S.P. $350 per month for 2,400 square feet of space in the school’s office suite. That rate is based on the building’s utility costs, proportional to the size of the space being rented.

Zupin said the corporation hopes to rent out more of its space, and discussions are already underway for a preschool to use some classrooms. “We’re working on that,” she said. “Hopefully next month, we’ll have another agreement.”

The middle school building closed at the end of last school year, with sixth grade being moved to the elementary school and the high school becoming a 7-12 grade facility. The school board has been considering moving the elementary school into the former middle school building at some point in the future. Zupin says the corporation’s lease with the Starke County Community Foundation runs until the end of May, which will allow N.J.-S.P. to revisit the use of its buildings at the end of the school year, if necessary.