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Pike County residents protest auction of a middle school shut down for radioactive contamination
By: Alison Patton
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PIKETON, Ohio (WOUB News) – The Zahn’s Corner Middle School was shut down in 2019 after a study found radioactive contamination in the building.
The school hasn’t been active since then, but maintenance costs are getting too expensive for the Scioto Valley School District to keep.
Now, it’s going up for auction. The starting bid is $275,000.
All three of Gina Doyle’s children went to the school when it was open.
“My girls are all grown now, but there’s been many kids that went to school here that died,” Doyle said.
Doyle is the founder of Facebook group Don’t Dump On Us, and she organized a protest for the auction Wednesday.
“If there’s a contaminated school, they shut it down for a reason, but yet they’re thinking about putting more kids in here? It’s insane,” Doyle said.
The Pike Christian Academy is interested in bidding on Zahn’s Corner, said Nicole Burchett, whose son goes to the academy.
Burchett and a couple other parents were at the protest holding signs.
One sign said, “We hear this school building has glowing reviews,” and another said, “PCA is was my safe place.”
Brewster Real Estate is hosting an in-person auction August 17. The listing doesn’t mention the school’s contamination, but the school will be sold “as is.”
If PCA wins the auction, Burchett said, she and other parents won’t support the sale.
“We’re going to pull our kids. So, just as a precaution,” Burchett said.
Brewster is walking potential buyers through the school Wednesday at its open house.
Doyle said she and other activists will be there protesting.