Great Valley School District - Bacton Hill Land Purchase Controversy

Bacton Hill Land Purchase Controversy

On September 15, 2008, the school board voted and unanimously approved the purchase of 49.4 acres (200,000 m2) of land for approximately $6.6 million. Located at 51 Bacton Hill Road, Malvern, this "Bacton Hill Land Purchase" generated some controversy amongst the public for two reasons: (1) the purchase was not discussed with the public prior to the meeting during which it was first announced, voted, and passed, and (2) the purchase price based on two land appraisals was brought under scrutiny when it was discovered that the brother of the real estate agent who set the price was involved with forming both appraisals.

Central to the controversy was the lack of public awareness, but also that the school board's reason for the purchase was stated, "it is prudent to acquire real estate for the District's potential future use". The number of students educated by the district has not significantly increased, so many objected that there is no foreseeable "future use" and that the purchase was made in haste.

The two independent appraisals of the land's price were brought into question as well because of the high price. After the purchase was completed, the board released a statement about the land acquisition, saying, "the per acre cost may seem high (at $135,000). But the purchase price is lower than two appraisals conducted on the site."

Fueling the controversy, a member of the public requested the two appraisals be released under Pennsylvania's Sunshine Laws. It was discovered that the two appraisals were both conducted by the same appraisal company, not two independent entities. Further, the appraisal company was owned by the brother of the real estate agent who first approached and ultimately sold the land to the district. Concerned over apparent misconduct, the appraisals and sale were eventually referred to the US Attorney by this same member of the public. This information was presented to the Board during public comments at the School Board Meeting on March 16, 2009. Several questions were asked concerning who was involved in the deal, and who knew what when. The Board did not respond during the meeting, but the District's lawyer attached a recorded statement to the public video of the meeting, stating, "the board considered these statements after the meeting, and while certain of them were factually accurate, the presentation was incomplete."

The land is still held by the School District, and no confirmation or denial has officially been given. However, significant fallout appears to have occurred. Two weeks after the March 16th meeting, on April 1, Superintendent Rita Jones announced she intended to retire during the upcoming summer. In addition, all 4 board members who are up for re-election in the November, 2009 election announced they would not seek re-election. Further, because Jack McDowell stepped down in April due to illness, only 4 of the 9 board members who were involved in the land deal were still on the board as of December.