N.J. School District Drops Asking Price for Former Christa McAuliffe Campus as Search for Buyer Reopens

A popular Ocean County school named for Challenger astronaut Christa McAuliffe is now cheaper. After months of seeking and one unsatisfactory offer, the Jackson School District cut the minimum sale price of the historic Christa McAuliffe Middle School by $10 million to attract new bidders.

The school closed permanently in June with a $54.5 million minimum acceptable offer due to dwindling enrollment and district reform. The structure and nearby property were included. The only bid filed by October’s deadline was $25.5 million, well below expectations. The bid failed the district’s requirements, therefore officials rejected it and resumed bidding.

To entice additional bids, the district boosted its minimum bid to $44.4 million last week. District executives said the dramatic decline was deliberate based on market input and fair sales to taxpayers.

Jackson’s Christa McAuliffe campus matters. The school named for the 1986 Challenger teacher-astronaut’s death closed this summer after generations of local students attended. District officials stressed that finding a qualified buyer is crucial because empty facilities are costly.

Selling large public schools, especially instructional ones, is difficult, say real estate specialists. Zoning approvals suggest the district’s price increase may encourage residential, commercial, and institutional redevelopment. Buyers like adaptability.

Reopening bids lets private developers and organizations propose site uses. The verdict impacts people financially and emotionally because the school is a local icon for decades.

Jackson School District has not set a bid review or decision date. The sale continues in hopes of attracting more responsible buyers with the lower rate.

Sources

Jackson School District Public Announcements
NJ Advance Media