Former Century School Still For Sale; College Considers But No Offer

March 31, 2011

Despite efforts to see it used as a satellite college campus or an elementary school, the Carver/Century K-8 School has sat empty for a couple of years with the Escambia County School District  unable to find a buyer for the facility.

“We’ve tried to find a buyer,” Superintendent Malcolm Thomas said recently, “but so far we’ve not had any success.”

Two “good possibilities” for the building did not materialize into a purchase offer, Thomas said. Pensacola State College considered the building as a campus location, Thomas said. But that idea failed due to a faltering economy.

“We also tried to interest the Byrneville Charter School in the building, but that did not work,” the superintendent said.

“The economy has really been the deciding factor in finding a buyer for the building,” he said.  Thomas did not specify the asking price for the facility.

Carvery/Century K-8 School closed as an educational facility in May, 2009, but had remained available as an evacuation shelter until last month.

Earlier this year, the school district  decided to  no longer keep kitchen facilities, emergency food commodities and janitorial supplies available — resulting in the facility no longer being available as a county emergency shelter. The nearest emergency shelter to Century is now Northview High School in Bratt.

“Up until now, the building has been available as a shelter,” said John Dosh, Escambia County Emergency Management director. “But without food and supplies, it is no longer a viable shelter and feeding space.”

Thomas said it was no longer economically feasible for the district to maintain the kitchen equipment and required health department inspections on the facilities.

Pictured: The former Century Elementary School. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.

Comments

13 Responses to “Former Century School Still For Sale; College Considers But No Offer”

  1. David Huie Green on April 3rd, 2011 4:45 pm

    REGARDING:
    “Like paying $100,000 for college, tuition will do you any good this day and age.:

    Those who want an education can get one and benefit from it. Those WITH an education tend to do better than those without.

    AND
    “The only reason that century’s elementary school was closed was due to low-test scores and another community wanting century’s tax dollars for their own.- – - let’s bus our kids all the way out to Bratt instead of keeping them in the 6 million dollar school we just built”

    Test scores didn’t shut it down, low attendance did. It doesn’t matter how much you spent on it if nobody’s going there.

    Six buses X ten miles X twice a day/bus X 180 days/year X $4/gallon/7-1/2miles/gallon=$11,520/year for fuel, assuming all were first taken to Century then bused to Bratt. If you accept that some live half way between Century and Bratt, the additional cost of transporting drops closer to zero since the bus has to go one way or the other to get all of them. (Wasn’t that problem on the FCAT math portion?)

    AND
    “- the test scores go, they measure them by the stupid FCAT. I graduated from – - and – - it took me 7 times to pass the math portion of the test. So let’s fire our teachers and staff because our students cannot pass a test that they can’t comprehend.”

    No reason to fire them if they’re actually teaching, but no reason to promote students who can’t understand a proper test of what they should have learned.

    If the test isn’t proper, fix it.

    Just don’t tell the world you had to take it seven times and never understood it but should be promoted anyway.

    David for simple math

  2. Scott Lowery on April 2nd, 2011 11:34 am

    Like paying $100,000 for college, tuition will do you any good this day and age. With the all the lawyers just waiting and drooling at a chance to sue for mal practice and Barak H. Obama’s health care bill that congress shoved down our throats, I’ll bet there are plenty of jobs left out there. But with that said.

    The only reason that century’s elementary school was closed was due to low-test scores and another community wanting century’s tax dollars for their own. Ohh this makes a lot of since right, with diesel fuel costing nearly $4.00 a gallon, lets bus our kids all the way out to brat instead of keeping them in the 6 million dollar school we just built. That will save the county more money right?

    As far as the test score’s go, they measure them by the stupid FCAT. I graduated from jay high school in 2003 and let me tell you that it took me 7 times to pass the math portion of the test. And all the practice sheets the teachers give you before you take the test is nothing like what the test is really like. So let’s fire our teachers and staff because our students cannot pass a test that they can’t comprehend. We can ace the rest of our normal classes, but not the FCAT test.
    Teachers should not be forced to teach a test that students don’t need in the first place. As long as you can read, write, spell, do basic math, and know who founded our country, and that Al gore wasn’t the first man on the moon, you should get your diploma!

    Now with this being said, you can call me a conspiracy nut, a boot licker, or a radical, but before you do, take a deep breath and think about this. With century losing both, the elementary and high schools and there being no real place to make a living except being a prison guard, who in their right mind is going to want to move in this town? This question is the KEY to this whole puzzle.

    All of these events that I have covered are a part of an elaborate ponze scheme to try and consolidate Century with Pensacola so they can gain more tax revenue for their own. The people that run the government in all aspects are draining our tax money for who knows what purpose and we the people have to pay more taxes to these people who refuse to fix the real problem.

    Just my 2 cents

  3. ProudArmyParent on April 2nd, 2011 8:28 am

    Century had 2 Christian Schools at one time, they didn’t get the support they needed and had to close their doors.

  4. Christ for Kids on April 1st, 2011 10:08 pm

    I feel all the churches in the community should get together and buy the school and make it a Christian school, they took prayer out of school and I love the chance to take my kids out of a school system, where they have no value base. People tend to wonder what wrong with the kids of this day and age; I’ll tell you, no one is telling them to stay and prayer, no one is saying mind your managers, be thankful for what you have until your time comes. Instead, the learn bad habits from other kids and how to be brash from some of the school staff. Back in the day the Church was the center of the community and everyone gathered on Sundays to give thanks. If we had a Christian school, I think the church would start to have the effect on the whole town and surrounding areas and Century would have such a bad reputation.

  5. Ms. B on April 1st, 2011 4:19 pm

    I think that having some type of college would be great to have in Century. Just as long as the ppl running it dont let some abuse the priviledges. I also think that Century should have kept their schools open. Having schools open signifies that Century is still a town, but it is slowly going down hill.

  6. citizen g on April 1st, 2011 11:40 am

    i will buy it, but i cant pay much for it.maybe a hundred dollars. any body else want to submit a bid??????????

  7. DAGB on April 1st, 2011 7:44 am

    “Century needs go back to THIER scool : witch is century carver”

    Why????? To attend the same English/Spelling class that you did?

  8. DONT UNDERSTAND on April 1st, 2011 7:33 am

    whatever is done someone is always gonna have something to say…. BUT WHY PUT A COLLEGE IN THE TOWN OF CENTURY?? YEA IT WILL HELP SOMEBODY, BUT A COLLEGE IS NOT THE HEART OF A COMMUNITY. A ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND HIGH SCHOOL IS.. PLEASE BRING OUR SCHOOLS BACK.

  9. EscGuy on March 31st, 2011 7:29 pm

    WHO cares?? Our tax dollars have already paid for it, just let someone lease it…. has anyone thought of that??? Lease it and take the funds and give back to the community……

  10. ... on March 31st, 2011 4:32 pm

    century needs to go back to THIER scool >:| witch is century carver

  11. Who Cares on March 31st, 2011 4:09 pm

    @Bam well maybe they need to transfer or take online classes, if i were PJC i wouldn’t even think of putting my campus there.

  12. Bam on March 31st, 2011 9:01 am

    That would be nice if PJC opened a campus there. I know a lot of kids that have to drive an hour to get to the one in Pcola and would probably get more kids to attend with a local campus. I know my son would be one of them. I might even like to take some classes too.

  13. Raider on March 31st, 2011 5:16 am

    Demo the school and extend Showalter Park into the space. Downtown Century area needs cleaning up. Malcomn Thomas should partner with Century Mayor and get this done.