Eight years after Opp City Schools shut the door on South Highlands Elementary School, Superintendent Michael Smithart said it’s time for the board to consider declaring the property surplus.

Smithart said he would like to have the property surveyed to establish property lines, then solicit bids to determine the market value of the property.

“The property needs another use,” he said.

Smithart said the board would declare everything surplus except the wing that is used for Opp Head Start. They would likely deed that portion of the campus back to the city.

Smithart said the board will maintain the right to refuse all offers if the bids were determined to be too low.

Southside Baptist Church in Opp had sought to purchase a piece of the property a while back, but that deal fell through.

The last day the school was used for class was May 28, 2009.

A new elementary school was built to replace the 1959 SHES campus.

–Kendra Majors