NEVC has contract for acreage

The superintendent of the Northeast Vernon County R-1 School district, Charles Naas, has confirmed that the district has a "mutually signed contract" for the sale of the 40 acres of land the district owns near Harwood.

The contract is a result of a closed bidding process that ended on Friday, Oct. 15. The district received three bids for the property which were opened during the NEVC board of education meeting held Tuesday, Oct. 19.

During closed session, allowed under the Revised Statutes of Missouri, section 610.021, the board of education voted unanimously to accept the high bid of $92,000 offered by Chris Crocker of Harwood.

Naas said his original statement to the Nevada Daily Mail that the accepted bid was from Tony Crocker was a mistake on his part. Crocker has verified that he has signed a contract with the district.

An undisclosed closing date has been set for the real estate transaction, according to Naas.

The land near Harwood was purchased by the NEVC district in November 2006 for $80,000.

After three attempts to pass a tax levy that would fund building a new school on the site, the board of education made the decision to sell the property.

In other business, the board voted 6-0 to employ Darren Bachand as a coach for the fifth- and sixth-grade boys' basketball team. The board also voted 6-0 to hire Brian Sprouse as coach for spring softball.