Monroe County school board buys nearly 80 acres

The Monroe County school system has plenty of room to grow now.

The school board has purchased nearly 80 acres to expand its property and the neighboring campus of Mary Persons High School in Forsyth.

Twelve acres was acquired from Otis Ingram, president and CEO of Ingram Entities, and the remaining property came from the Howell Newton and Willis Newton Jr. families. A land exchange allows Ingram to own 18 acres along U.S. 41, on which he plans to build a senior living community.

The land was bought for $850,000, and $750,000 was borrowed for the projects, according to the school system.

“We’ve been landlocked. We had no room to grow. We’d been working on ways to expand the Monroe County Board of Education and Mary Persons,” Monroe County school Superintendent Mike Hickman said. “We looked at it as a ‘win win win’ for all parties. We’re excited about being able to have opportunities for our students for years to come.”

The first project will be additional parking for the new Fine Arts Center and the football stadium, and long-term plans include an agri-science center and stadium expansion. Programs for Mary Persons and other Monroe schools also will be added as needed, Hickman said.

“My property and Mr. Newton’s property will be used for future Board of Education projects,” Ingram said. “Any time you have a campus, it’s best if you have all those facilities on the campus. Having this land next to the school will allow it to be on one campus, which I think is important for the safety of the kids.”

Ingram had wanted to build a senior living community in Forsyth for some time, and he had been saving his 12 acres by the school for it. The property exchange gave him a nearby site that worked just as well for the project, he said.

He hopes to begin work in March. It will be a gated neighborhood with a clubhouse, fitness center and social hall.

This story was originally published November 1, 2016 at 6:21 PM with the headline "Monroe County school board buys nearly 80 acres."