Two groups want to purchase parts of closed Bunkie Middle School

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Two separate organizations are seeking to purchase different parts of the former Bunkie Middle/George Washington Carver School to support community programs. Representatives of George Washington Carver Community Group and Kingdom of Life Fellowship attended the Avoyelles School Board Building and Lands Committee on July 17 to express their interest in parts of the former school.

Marvin Crawford of Carver Community said that group wants to purchase the cafeteria building and convert it into a community center. The cafeteria was appraised in 2014 for $25,700. It was reappraised in early 2018 for $22,500.

State law would allow the board to sell the building for no less than 85 percent of its appraised value -- $19,125.

The group has offered $15,000 for the building, but also wanted additional 1/2-acre of property around the cafeteria -- including the former sixth grade center -- for parking.

“We really need the area for parking,” Crawford told the committee. Board members said it would need another appraisal that included the additional property the group wants.

That would raise the total value of the property, requiring the group to come up with more money to purchase it from the school system.

“I personally want to sell you the property, but we want to do it right and legal,” Board Member Van Kojis, of Bunkie, said. “We have to see what the appraisal is before we can go further.”

Arthur Lovall, of Kingdom of Life Fellowship, addressed the committee about his continuing efforts to buy the former school’s gymnasium and additional property on the campus. The gym has been appraised at $61,600.

The committee said it would meet with each group to determine exactly what property they are interested in. The board will then have the school property resurveyed and each parcel appraised to determine a selling price.

The survey and new appraisals will cost about $3,000.