In 1925, a local development company donated what is now the Suncrest Primary School property to the BOE. In the deed, the development company made it perfectly clear that the property must be used for a “school building” to teach local children. If and when the property is no longer used for a “school building” to teach local children, the property reverts back to the development company, and if the development company no longer exists, the property must be held in trust to be used as a public park.
For nearly 90 years, the property was home to the Suncrest Primary School, one of the finest schools in the State. In 2016, Suncrest Primary closed. The school building was demolished in 2023. The BOE has no plans to build a new school building on the property. Despite the clear restrictions on its use, the BOE filed a lawsuit against the local development company that donated the property in 1925, and they asked the Court to declare that the BOE still owns it, even though the BOE has no intention to build a new school on the property. If that doesn’t work, the BOE said it will condemn the property.
The local development company was dissolved in 1933 and no longer exists. In other words, there was no one to fight back against the BOE’s greedy and illegal land grab. So the Suncrest Neighborhood Association stepped in and intervened in the lawsuit.
We, the concerned residents and supporters of the Suncrest community, are very concerned about the intentions of this board and future boards regarding the property, and we want to Retain the Original Spirit and Community Ownership of Suncrest Primary School Property.
GOAL:
The land where Suncrest Primary School once stood must be used as either 1) a school building to teach local children or 2) a public park. Suncrest Neighborhood Association's goal remains the same: to honor the deed's original intent.
ACTION:
To reach that goal, we (SNA) engaged legal counsel, who acted quickly before the hearing on 3/24/25. We are currently working to prepare for the next hearing on June 4, 2025. To do this, we need to raise funds to cover legal expenses. Prior to this, we received donations, which we are grateful for, but many have asked for an electronic way to donate.