Richland School District pays nearly $1M for 10 acres of WA state land
Richland School District has purchased 10 acres north of Tapteal Elementary from the Washington Department of Natural Resources. The district will pay the land’s appraised value of $961,000.
The Board of Natural Resources approved the transfer of the West Richland property on Tuesday.
The parcel lacked the water rights necessary for agricultural uses.
And with development surrounding the parcel on multiple sides, the state decided agriculture was no longer the highest and best use for that land.
It will be used for “future development opportunities,” said Richland’s Executive Director of Operations Richard Krasner in a provided statement.
The land is north of the Tapteal school site and is adjacent to it along North 62 Avenue.
“The district is playing around with several different ideas for the land use, but nothing is set in stone at this time,” said Shawna Dinh, the district’s public information officer.
“This transaction demonstrates that the Department of Natural Resources supports public education in Washington state in many ways, and I am proud that this transaction will have an impact locally and allow us to purchase lands that will better serve our schools across the state,” said Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz in a statement.
Washington state originally received the parcel from Congress after its statehood was ratified in 1889.
Money earned from the site have historically benefited the state’s Common School Trust, which funds K-12 public school construction. Schools are the top beneficiary of state land trusts.
DNR will use money from the purchase to buy another piece of property elsewhere in the state that is better suited for long-term management for the Common School Trust.
