The BOE cited a need for more time to review the lease. The BOE plans to hold a special meeting for the lease in July.
Final approval of the lease between the Evesham Township School District and operators of Y.A.L.E. School to rent the Evans Elementary School building will have to wait until at least next month.
While the lease was scheduled for approval at the June meeting of the ETSD Board of Education, the BOE tabled approval of the lease at its meeting this week, citing a need for more time to review the agreement.
Near the beginning of the meeting, board president JoAnne Harmon announced the board would instead hold a special meeting for approval of the lease in July, estimated for July 26 at 7 p.m. at the district administration building.
Harmon thanked all those on the board, with the district and with Y.A.L.E. who worked on an “aggressive timeline” to reach a final draft of a lease agreement, with officials even working through the day of the BOE’s meeting this week.
“We appreciate all the work…the board just needs more time to be able to look at it, review it and do its due diligence,” Harmon said. “Again, we appreciate everybody’s time, and we will just be setting up a separate, special meeting.”
The board approved a bid from Y.A.L.E. School to rent the Evans property at a special meeting in early June.
According to Y.A.L.E.’S website, Y.A.L.E. School provides education to students ages 3 to 21 who have social, emotional, learning and behavioral disabilities.
Y.A.L.E’s bid was for a full-service lease for five years, with rent totaling about $665,000 for the first year.
With the bid, Y.A.L.E. School was set to rent 44,384 square feet of the total 78,213 square feet of the Evans building,
According Y.A.L.E.’s original bid, rental space would include the front wing of the building, the wing facing Route 73, the gym, the cafeteria/all-purpose room and the library.
Superintendent John Scavelli Jr. has said the BOE could consider leasing other parts of the building in the future.
