The trial is set to begin Wednesday morning in Winneshiek County District Court to determine whether an old school building will be torn down or salvaged. A group of citizens is suing the Decorah School Board in an effort to get the issue of whether or not the East Side School building should remain standing on the September School Board election ballot.
The building hasn’t been used since 1998 when it was shut down amidst safety concerns raised by the state Fire Marshal. The citizens were working to set up a community arts center inside the building. In May, the school board voted three-to-two to tear the building down.
The citizens claim state code calls for a public vote on the disposition of school property during a regular election but the school board says its legal decision can’t be reversed by a referendum.