Sale of Devlin School finalized

It's official — the Boys & Girls Club of the Hi-Line is now the owner of the Devlin School building.

The club bought the property from Havre Public Schools for $1, signing the dotted line Tuesday.

"We are feeling great that we know we are going to be able to serve more kids this fall," Executive Director Krista Solomon said after the sale.

"I'm happy that it's in the hands of the Boys & Girls Club," said Andy Carlson, superintendent of Havre schools.  "And I think that it's a good move for our community.

"I hope it meets their needs for a long time," he said about the building's sale, adding that the district recognized the club would need to make repairs and that's why the price was agreed to.

The sale was possible because of an addition to Highland Park Early Primary South that creates enough room for all kindergarten and first-grade students to be under one roof.  That addition is moving along, and Carlson said that it is expected the students and teachers will be in the new classrooms at the start of school Thursday, Aug. 26.

Previously, the club and the school shared the building.  Now that students will no longer be utilizing rooms, the enrollment cap at the club will be raised to allow more area children to enjoy the services the club provides.

That number could easily be 100, Solomon said, but depends on staffmember ratios, and the club is applying for grants with the hope of hiring more staff.

The four classrooms that the club took over after kindergarten and firstgrade classes vacated the building earlier this summer are undoing transformations to become themed centers.

One of the rooms will be a Bright Spot for Reading, a Wal-Mart grant program is covering those costs.

Other improvements to the building also are being made, with the roof undoing patching and work expected to begin on the boiler next week.

Registration for the club's schoolyear programs begins Monday, Solomon said, and the services begin Aug. 26, after the summer programs wrap up Tuesday, Aug. 17.

When children return to the club, improvements will be ongoing.

"Most important is that we still need a lot of community support to be able to serve more kids and do the much needed repairs," Solomon said.