Keeping it empty is an unacceptable luxury
Panevėžys district municipality intends to add Geležia primary school to the list of objects to be sold at public auction. With the approval of the council, the auction would be organized soon.
The school building itself, with an area of more than 1,680 square meters, is valued at 143,000. 630 euros, more than 400 square meters former school dormitory – over 22 thousand. EUR, workshops with an area of more than 167 “squares” – almost 9 thousand. euros.
In September 2017, the students of Geležių primary school were no longer able to open the door. Due to the small number of people attending it, it was decided to close the educational institution.
The mayor of Panevėžys district, Antanas Pocius, says that it took a long time to organize all the documents needed to prepare the school for sale, and to settle land issues.
“Now we will start offering for sale – maybe someone will buy,” hopes the head of the district. – The facility is relatively large. The bad thing is that the village is isolated. It is difficult to say how many will be disappointed. We also cannot keep buildings and do nothing.”
The only school
According to the mayor A. Pocias, maintenance of the inactive school territory costs the Municipality. Therefore, first of all, it was tried to find how the empty barrels could be used. It was hoped that the building of the dormitory could possibly be used for social purposes and to receive European funds for its reconstruction. However, when the representatives of the Government visited, it became clear that the buildings did not meet the requirements, so they had to be privatized.
The head of the Panevėžys district is open: it is difficult to predict how the sale of buildings located far from Panevėžys will go. It is said that one potential buyer was interested in what the district could offer, asked about empty schools, but all of them turned out to be too far from the city.
“However, everything can be in the auction – I do not exclude anything. Everyone has their own interests. Maybe there will be someone for whom exactly this object will suit”, says A. Pocius.
All the more so because Geleži is the only former school in the district that the municipality intends to sell soon.
Although it was the ninth time, this year we finally managed to sell the Jotainai school buildings.
Turto bankas also sold the Katina school buildings this year and has been preparing the Skaistgiriai school for auction for some time.
The District Municipality itself currently has Linkaučiai school and orphanage buildings on the list of objects to be privatized, but they will not be sold yet – Ukrainian war refugees are sheltering here. The municipality has signed a cooperation agreement for the provision of temporary protection with the Refugee Reception Center, and it will not expire until late autumn.
A focus of light
“We miss the fact that this educational institution is gone. There was still a certain source of light,” regrets Jovita Barolienė, chairperson of the Geleži village community.
At the moment, the people of Geleži are engaged in various community activities in the branch of the Tiltagaliai Cultural Center operating in the village.
“So we have premises where we can choose,” says J. Barolienė.
However, the population is getting older, so the local residents previously thought that maybe a home for the elderly could be located in the former school. According to J. Barolienė, the buildings are not abandoned – although they have not been operated for some time, the condition is quite good. Not so long ago, the floors were replaced in the premises, plastic doors were installed, plumbing was updated.
If there was a nursing home, there would be jobs for local residents.
However, according to the head of the community, everyone understands that such changes require substantial investments.
The village is getting old
There was a time when Geležiu Primary School could accommodate over two hundred students. J. Barolienė remembers how she used to be in high school. Children used to come here from distant villages – Antašava Kupiškis district, Panevėžys district Sodelei, others – so a dormitory was set up for them. Night teachers worked there, taking care of the children who stayed overnight.
According to J. Barolienė, when the school still existed, a medical center operated in the dormitory, and a kindergarten was also installed. Now that’s gone. The medical center was replaced by mobile services to the home. The youngest students are now on their way to Tiltagaliai Primary School. Some of the children go to Subačiai, others to Paliūniškis.
“There are not enough children, there will definitely not be such a school in Geleži, – admits the head of the community. – The village is aging: new residents are moving here, but more often as summer residents.”
Geležių main school is the only former school in the district that the Municipality is currently planning to sell. The greatest hopes will be placed on this when looking for a buyer.
