Ms. Mask
One group saying they are being attacked is not equal to your headline use of terrorism,
You are not reporting-- you are demonstrating your own prejudice toward the group who has every right to investigate such a large transaction. Your article should be on the "Editorial" page as opinion. You should know the difference.

The terrorism claim comes from the Thomas More website. Just click on the link. Sorry, I don't see the writer's bias.

The statement in this artical sound just like what FPS are trying to do to me on another topic, and they have the nerve to say it about others.
BT

"These same opponents are now trying another attack, again twisting and distorting the facts, making a number of allegations that are completely false"

Hi Vicky,
Thanks for your comment. The word terrorism came from the Thomas More site I linked to. Not my opinion. And I put attack in quotes because that was the exact wording the district used.

The school district has misled the people once again. The case was NEVER DISMISSED on its merits...the judge, in fact, at the hearing said to the district's attorney “You may have – your clients may have made mistakes – procedural mistakes...“

The case was dismissed on "standing" - only as to whether or not the plantiffs had the right to bring the action - and NEVER on the merits of whether or not the district violated the public trust. So, quite frankly, I am sick and tired of the district spokespeople constantly spinning the truth.

Read the 22 pages that the TMLC submitted to the attorney general. It is on the TMLC website. I read it, and I am more convinced than ever that there was something very wrong with this sale, that had NOTHING to do with the purchasers. In fact, the summary only goes to the misdeeds of the district and does not call into question any potetial misdeeds of the ICA.

I am also disgusted with the Patch and their less than objective reporting. I doubt that this "non-reporter" read any of the supporting materials. They are and continue to be hacks for the district.

Let’s not get sidetracked by extraneous issues. If anyone takes the time to read the Thomas More Law Center's letter and the allegations, one would be furious that the district engaged in corrupt practices to engineer the no-bid sale of Eagle. Remember this was done against the advice of its own Facilities Study committee that expressly told the district not to close Eagle. We should be focusing on the harm to our students this no-bid sale has done – being bussed across town, crowded classrooms, and the cutting of important programs. This is all because the district insisted on selling, in secret, a community asset that should have been aggressively listed and marketed.

Given the serious corruption charges against Farmington Schools, all parents and taxpayers should be grateful to the public interest law firm for asking the Attorney General to start an investigation. It is the responsibility of the AG to protect students and citizens against the kind of criminal wrongdoing that surrounded this FPS foul deal -- including insider dealing, conflicts of interests, rigged appraisals, secret negotiation and most shocking, a NO-BID SALE of a valuable public asset,. Why would a district put out for bid pizza but not major real estate and short the students and taxpayers? People in this town know there is rot and we need the AG to do his duty to investigate the district’s violations of law and fiduciary responsibilities. BTW, it’s also the responsibility of serious journalists to do their own investigating and not be mouthpieces for FPS.

Terry, since when is it "good" that the district did nothing to maximize the sale. There are plenty of documents out there that indicate that the property was worth far more than they garnered. By simply putting the property on the market for a mere 30 days would have been sufficient. Why did they not do this??? This is standard business practice. This is OUR property NOT theirs...it is incumbent on them to act in OUR best interest. They didn't do that. If you follow the trail, the fix was in. Someone, somewhere profited handsomely from this sale and we need to find out exactly who that was.

Terry,

I don't know who your friends are, but go to the district's web site and read the Facilities Study Team report. The team specifically did not recommend Option D, which is the only one that included the sale of Eagle. Also, contrary to what you have been told, the district's own documents say that they were "inundated" with inquiries from interested parties who multiple times were told the property WAS NOT FOR SALE. That is precisely why the district received no offers. I know, personally, a real estate agent who was told that a number of times.

As for the other school properties, there, indeed, was interest by real estate people, and the Board turned them away also by telling them that the properties were not for sale. As for the "drain", what do you think it costs to buy busses and transport across the district many students who were transferred to other schools, resulting in overcrowding and 45 minutes or more on a bus?

Terry, I really don't know where or from whom you get your information, but for pity sake, read the district's own documents (including the minutes).

I sincerely hope this opens your eyes and mind.

There was no better bid on the Eagle property because it wasn't put up for bidding. How difficult is that for you to understand, TerrY?

The FST considered all elementary buildings - with the exception of Highmeadow. Of the remaining schools, there were three clear choices for closure - Eagle was always amongst those three. The FST took into consideration many factors/variables related to the building and site including actually walking through each of the buildings.

Option D, the reconfiguration of the district, was brought to the FST in December as something to consider. We initially balked, but performed our investigation and analysis. In the end, the options that were not Grand River, Shiawassee, or Orchard Lake were ones that could not garner consensus.

The BOE and the district administration never suggested/implied which building(s) to consider for closure. The disposition of the closed properties was not for the FST to consider, and it was not. However, the FST did utilize market analysis numbers for their financial calculations when analyzing the impact to the district if a site were to be sold.

Terry, if the district wanted to garner the highest price, they would have marketed the building. They did not. If there was nothing underhanded going on, why would they openly lie to both city councils which is documented in the minutes the district produced? On May 3 2011, AFTER they knew they Had received and were considering the ICA offer, they specifically told both Farmington and FH councils
Eagle would be demolished. Why the secrecy and lying? Why the direct conflict with the AG opinion?

Also, there is a reasonable chance that a purchaser who would have developed the property may have come along. That could have resulted in additional revenues in the form of property taxes for the Twp. and the district. Simply, advertising the property for sale for a month or two could have garnered not only a higher sales price but a perpetual revenue stream as well. It would have been sound business practice to do this.

Do read the statement of allegations. I found it eye opening and I thought I knew a lot about the topic already.

As for the FST...they did NOT recommend closing Eagle. Why would the district take the least recommended option? Why bother with the committee at all if they were going to do what they wanted?

As for Grace Elementary property, it is the old apples and oranges comparison. Eagle sits on a very valuable site that could easily be rezoned for a multitude of uses.

Finally, why would someone put in an offer on property that they are told specifically is not for sale? That is what ALL other interested parties were told. Only the ICA's realtor, who sits on a board with Zurvalec, and whose staff and principle board members are friends with a school board member were encouraged to do this.

Terry, I remember you from years past. I know you are very aware of how this district operates with subterfuge. You seem to think they operated above board now? From my vantage point nothing has changed.

Regarding the FST recommendations - they did not recommend the closure of Eagle in any of its three recommendations. Eagle was never the "first" choice, but it was consistently in the disucussion as a primary candidate for closure. However, when considering "Option D", it was determined that up to four schools could be closed. The FST chose the fourth building in one of their last meetings as a group.

Terry,

The district had seriously interested people. The Jewish Yeshiva was interested in the property but from what we know, was turned away when they inquired. So they bought another location, within months on Walnut Lake Rd in W. Bloomfield. That, to me, shows real interest and not just some inquiry. And, as you can see above, Eagle WAS NOT RECOMMEDED for closure in the final analysis. So why did the district throw out all the work of the committee? Perhaps, a pre-negotiated secret buyer?

And, whatever you think the "real reason" for the "trumped up charges" are, I can tell you personally that if there had been an honest attempt to market the property, then I myself, and most if not all of us would have been satisfied that the district had followed standard business ethics and acted in an ethical manner that was in the best interests of the community. That did not happen. So, all of you "southerners" can believe what you want. Just puts you in the same category of the Board members who called us racists and bigots - or those who told stories about their parents' once having "a Jewish friend". I thought that went out of vogue in the 1960s with Martin Luther King, and the "I once had a black friend" garbage. I guess I was wrong.

BTW...those who use the "I once had" phrases, are just plain offensive. I almost fell out of my seat at the June 14, 2011 meeting when I heard that reference to Jews. How ridiculous can one make oneself sound?? But, then the board member who said that has a propensity of letting their mouth get ahead of them. That includes using vulgar language against other board members.

Terry, I am curious, did you actually read the statements of allegations? What about the rigged appraisal, and all the cozy relationships? And before you start a civil war between the north and the south many of your compatriots in the south are not so happy with the way the district handled any of this. At one point people from the southern part of the district turned out enmasse, as well, when the district was going to take their draconian measures on redistricting, all in an attempt to stop the district's actions.