Brandon Leuallen, The Business Times

School District 51 is moving forward with asbestos abatement, a step that must be completed before demolishing a former school building that a resident says was originally transferred to the district for $1 in the 1960s.

This comes as the district continues to grapple with consistently declining enrollment, which accelerated even more this year, and the resulting loss of funding.

In the process, the closure of schools like Gateway has brought frustration, sadness and grief to many who grew up attending these schools or whose children were enrolled in them.

The abatement of one of the Gateway buildings follows the closure of the Gateway school, a move the district said it had to make as the school had only about 9 percent enrollment.

“I’m wanting to stop them from tearing it down. I want them to give it back to the community,” said Lisa Casto, a Gateway resident.

Casto said she was alerted by a neighbor who believed demolition had begun, prompting her to visit the site.

District confirms demolition plan

District 51 Chief Operations Officer Clint Garcia said the district recently allowed community members to enter the building and take items they wanted before work began, holding a give-away event, so materials from the building such as bookcases could be taken home by community members.

He said the building is scheduled for demolition and the district is working to schedule that part of the work after the abatement is completed.

“They have to do the abatement before they can … you can’t mix all of this stuff for the landfill. It’s got to be disposed of separately,” Garcia said.

He said the process includes removal, inspection and clearance before demolition can begin.

Garcia said there are no current plans to replace the structure. 

District officials say the building is no longer in use and presents liability and maintenance challenges.

The building includes multiple classrooms on the upper level and several apartment units on the lower level.

In a November 2025 letter, the school district said it could no longer assume responsibility for upkeep and outlined options for the community, including purchasing or relocating the building.

The district estimated a purchase cost of about $394,000, including an appraised value of $313,600 and additional costs. The district gave the community 90 days from November 2025 to secure funding or develop a plan to purchase or relocate the building.

Casto said those figures were unrealistic for a small, rural community. She also questioned cost estimates presented to the school board, including millions in projected repairs and a $22,000 nutrition services cost.

“They tried to say it was $22,000 in food costs for our kids, and there hasn’t been a meal program in Gateway for years,” she said.

She also disputed repair estimates, including roofing costs that she said were significantly lower than what was presented.

Alternative for students

Gateway students are now using another building on the Gateway campus to participate in the district’s Grand River online program. Casto said the shift has effectively erased Gateway School from the district, including for students who would have otherwise graduated from there.

“They did away with the school. It doesn’t show Gateway School on the roster or anything,” she said.

Casto said the change has been especially difficult for some students who expected to remain connected to the school through graduation.