Done deal: New owner takes keys of former Asa Wood School

The years-long process of selling Asa Wood School is finally complete.

Wednesday afternoon, Libby Public Schools Superintendent Ron Goodman handed a bucket of keys to the new owner, Darren Smith, the CEO and owner of Compass Health, Inc.

Goodman said last year he may do a celebratory dance once the deal was done, but Thursday, he just smiled warmly after the paperwork was signed and the keys were handed to Smith.

Goodman also presented two framed posters that were signed by students and staff of the first class in 1954 at Asa Wood and the last, dated June 1, 2011.

“Hopefully, you can find a good place for these,” Goodman said. “If not, the museum would likely be a good home for them.”

Smith said he thought there’d be a place for them at the old school.

The school closed in 2011 after a vote by the board because the district was facing a massive budget shortfall of $700,000. The 42,200 square-foot school building was built in 1953, with additions in 1956, 1960, 1967 and 2015. The last work was the addition of a commercial kitchen in 2015.

According to previous stories, former Superintendent K.W. Maki, wasn’t in favor of selling the property, which included nine acres.

In 2012, the school board asked the Environmental Protection Agency to remove vermiculite asbestos from the walls.

In May 2021, the district received a $388,000 grant from the EPA to mitigate asbestos, lead-based paint and mercury-based thermostats. The school district had to provide $70,000 in matching funds and in-kind work.

Then, in September 2021, Libby Public Schools entered into an agreement to sell the defunct school to a California-based Compass Health. The deal was for $730,000.

Newfields’ Asbestos Specialist Mike Kelly provided information to the Board in July 2022 on the abatement process.

Kelly reported that the Brownfields Cleanup Grant from the EPA of $388,000 should be a sufficient amount to fully cover the costs of the abatement project that is tentatively scheduled to start in August.

Kelly also reported Newfields will perform quality testing throughout the project to ensure contaminants have been completely removed. Kelly reported the cleanup project is scheduled to conclude by the end of October 2022.

According to a Oct. 26, 2022, report by Amanda Harcourt, the Asbestos Resource Program Manager, it completed an additional Inspection on Oct. 19. She said no vermiculite was observed in any walls inspected by ARP, but wall board containing the substance was identified in an area of the gym and adjacent hallway. The wall board was added to the current list of work to be abated.

Compass Health executives have previously presented plans to build a 35- to 45-unit assisted living facility on the property or developing the lot into commercial and mix-use buildings and homes with sections for senior and low-income housing.

Smith previously said, “Our motivation is not financial but rather to have an opportunity to enjoy a project outside of our home state of California.”

Wednesday, Smith said plans included an assisted living and senior living facilities as well as workforce housing.

“It will be an extensive remodel,” Smith said. “First we’ll work with the current framework, then see what happens. We’d like to see plans by this summer and hopefully work beginning at the end of the year.”