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The Hobart School Board is moving forward with the sale of Ridge View Elementary, closed since 2020, following a public hearing where no comments were made. The average of two appraisals set the minimum bid price at $1.27 million.

Superintendent Peggy Buffington stated that the school, built in 1955, is no longer viable due to age and the difficulty of retrofitting. Financial constraints, driven by state property tax caps limiting tax increases, have led to significant revenue losses for the district.

Buffington noted that the district's NIPSCO bill was nearly $2 million last year, with an expected 18% increase. Additionally, a proposed Amazon data center will not benefit the district due to boundary issues.