The Webster County Board of Education will be retaining ownership of the former Providence High School, the adjacent “Doghouse” gymnasium, and surrounding buildings, at least for the time being.

At the school board’s meeting in February, members opened three bids on the second bid proposal they’ve conducted for the properties. The parcels were initially divided into two distinct lots: one for the gymnasium and surrounding buildings, the other for the former high school itself. The board rejected all bids it received at that time and rebid the parcels into three groups. This time, they separated some of the surrounding buildings from the gymnasium lot, but left the high school separate.

Monday night, at the school board’s meeting, members again voted unanimously to reject all bids at the recommendation of Webster County School District Attorney Amelia Zachary, who didn’t attend the meeting.

Discussion then turned to the idea of rebidding the entire property as a single lot, along with a pair of nearby properties the board had previously accepted bids on. The buyers of those properties apparently later backed out of the deal for reasons that weren’t made clear during Monday’s meeting.

Board of Education member Steve Henry said he thought the board should hold off taking any action to give members more time to study the issue.

“This is going to be the third time we bid these buildings out,” Henry said. “I’m somewhat embarrassed. We want to make sure before we call for bids that we know what we want to bid. I would like to readdress this again in a month.”

Others on the board said they didn’t want to wait, but also questioned whether the properties on Cedar Street should be included with the high school.

“Why would someone want to bid on the house lot as part of the high school,” board vice-chairperson Lisa Preston asked.

Eventually, members agreed to amend the motion to remove those properties from the proposed bid. Board member E Carolyn Tucker voted against the amendment, and told The J-E after the meeting that she also voted against the motion to rebid the high school complex because she believed all of the property should be included.

Following the vote to approve the amendment, discussion then turned back to the motion on the floor to rebid the high school property.

“Do we as a board feel like we’re going to gain more by putting it all together?” Henry asked.

“I hope so, but I don’t know,” board chairman James Nance said in response, adding that he was disappointed with the amounts of the previous bids.

The board cast a tied 3-3 vote on the motion, with Henry, Tucker, and board member Sandi Jackson all voting against the motion. Initially, Nance said his understanding was that a tie vote meant the motion passed, but after speaking to Zachary by phone later said that may be incorrect.

On Tuesday, Kemp said the outcome of the vote remained under review.

KRS 160.270 (1) states “A majority of the board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, but a concurring vote by a majority of the board, the number of board members in the quorum notwithstanding, shall be necessary to take any particular action unless otherwise specified by statute.”

A majority of the quorum, in this case, would be a requirement of four votes to pass a motion.