East Central offers office building for sale

East Central Center for Exceptional Children (East Central), the special education unit based in New Rockford, has put its office building up for sale. The advertisement for the 5,500 sq. ft. space downtown is in this week’s “County Extra.” When we received the notice, Transcript staff reached out to officials at East Central to find out more about their future plans.

East Central Board Chair Nancy Bollingberg, who is also the superintendent at Fessenden-Bowdon School, explained that they have been discussing the matter since April. Board members have approached the issue economically and financially, noting that the building is far too large for the few staff that currently occupy it. The unit operated a preschool program in the past, and the county health nurse and a private preschool provider have utilized space in the building as well. Now only a few staff members have offices in the building, including the director and the business manager.

Bollingberg said their new coordinator, Ashly Wolsky, suggested a new direction, stating she preferred to spend most of her time in the school buildings where her staff work on a daily basis. When a third party expressed interest in purchasing the building, Bollingberg said that was the impetus the board needed to put the building up for sale.

The board is concurrently identifying possible spaces for their business manager, Susette Allmaras, who was recently hired to succeed Samantha Pfeiffer. NR-S Superintendent Jill Louters, who serves as a representative on the East Central board, reported to the school board at its Nov. 13 meeting that she had been approached about housing the business manager’s office at the NR-S school.

Bollingberg noted that by selling the building East Central could realize cost savings, and those funds could then be reallocated to other areas in the budget.

“We think this is the most efficient use of resources and that we’re truly doing what’s best for the kids,” Bollingberg said.