The 1,550 square foot farm-style house constructed on Fore Street by Sulphur Springs High School students should have a new owner soon.
Sulphur Springs Independent School District Board of Trustees on Monday accepted the two bids, in rank order, submitted for the house, according to Sulphur Springs Independent School District Assistant Superintendent Josh Williams.
SSHS career and technology students worked on the house, with help from trade professionals when required, over the course of two years. The house has two bedrooms, plus a bonus room with sliding barn doors that could be used as an office or third bedroom. It also has two bathrooms, open concept kitchen, granite counter tops and stainless-steel appliances, a separate laundry room and easy-care wood-look vinyl plank and tile floors throughout. The structure too includes a wraparound porch and a detached single car garage.
Because of education rules regarding school, the property had to be sold not through the normal channels such as a realtor but through a sealed bid process.
Sulphur Springs Independent School District administrators put the home up for bid over the summer. However, at the close of the bidding period in August, no bids had been received, Williams reported at the Aug. 12 school board meeting.
After consideration, Sulphur Springs Independent School District again sought bids for the home last month, this time lowering the minimum bid price set from $154,900 to $134,900.
When the sealed bids were opened at the close of bidding Friday, Sept. 27, at 3 p.m., two acceptable bids were received, both above the minimum bid price, Williams reported.
Both bids were from private individuals. The top bid was for $142,500, and the second was for $137,259. Both were accepted, with the home going to the top bidder. The second bid was approved as a back up in case something does not go through in the process. Then, the home would go to the person bidding $137,259, without having to hold another school board meeting regrading the matter, according to Williams.
The assistant superintendent said the district is thrilled with this, especially the experience it’s provided the students who worked on the Fore Street home. It’ll be something in 30 years they can point to and their kids or grandchildren they helped build.
The bidders were contacted Tuesday. Officials are in the process of executing the sale agreement, which is expected to be presented at the end of the week to the title company, according to Williams.
The sale will allow SSISD to recover the amount the school district put into the home and put money back into the career and technology education program.
Students currently enrolled in construction trades-related CTE classes are currently working on a few projects identified around the district. Once those are tidied up, the students will begin work on their next big project: a tiny house. With the hiring of teachers with trade credentials, the students will be able to learn the entire process of constructing a house. The tiny house then can be sold through regular means, according to Williams.
