Sale of former Middle School marks end of an era

The former Stockbridge Middle School, downtown Stockbridge at the corner of Elizabeth and Wood streets, was sold to local resident Mike Dalton for $1.00 on April 10. If history is an indicator, the building is likely to continue to serve the community.

By Don Porter

On April 10, 2018, after months of discussion and work, the former Stockbridge Middle School was sold to local resident Mike Dalton for $1.00. It is unclear what Mr. Dalton plans to do with the building as he was unavailable for comment at deadline. But if history is an indicator, the building is likely to continue to serve the community.

What is now referred to as the Old Middle School, located downtown Stockbridge at the corner of Elizabeth and Wood streets, had served thousands of students since the original building was erected in 1929. An addition, constructed in the early 1960s, appended 85,650 square feet of classrooms, offices, a second gymnasium and other space.

When this author arrived in 1974 as an assistant principal, the building was bulging at the seams with over 1,000 students. The current high school was under construction, and in January 1976, grades 9 through 12 moved into the then-new building on North Main Street. The former facility  operated as the Middle School under the leadership of longtime principal Robert (Bob) Boyd.

Sign on front of the building marks an era gone by.

As student enrollment declined and the cost to maintain the aging facility increased, it was determined the district no longer needed it. A bond issue passed in Nov. 2015 to add space to the high school in order to accommodate both junior and senior high students. In utilizing this new space, as well as available space at Smith and Heritage Elementary buildings, school personnel vacated the Old Middle School structure.

This past year, the Village of Stockbridge and the Stockbridge Police Department have inhabited the building, and in the past, other organizations like Outreach’s Tide Me Over program and alternative education used the space.

The property was first listed as commercial through Amy Freundl at Rhinehart Realty. According to Superintendent Karl Heidrich, she did an “outstanding job assisting the district from the beginning to the end of the process.” One challenge involved the splitting of the land, so the property behind the building has been retained for community education programs such as soccer, softball and baseball.

In his column on page XX, Heidrich explains how funds provided for demolishing the building will now will be used. He indicated that he and the School Board hope the sold building may remain functional and available to the community and organizations in need of space.

Stockbridge Community News will continue to follow the story and report as news breaks.