The Marion County School Board on Nov. 6 directed staff to pursue an interlocal agreement with the Town of Reddick to give the town formal use and operational responsibility for a front‑of‑campus basketball court at Reddick Collier Elementary School.

Superintendent Dr. Brewer said the school has two courts: one in daily student use behind the security fencing and an older court at the front of the campus that students cannot readily use because it sits outside the school's black security fencing. Town leaders and campus staff proposed shifting the perimeter fencing or transferring the parcel so the town could renovate and open the court to the community. "We could just give the court to the town of Reddick," Dr. Brewer said in summarizing initial conversations.

The legal review presented to the board narrowed the practical options to three: a quitclaim deed (sale/transfer of title), a long‑term lease or an interlocal agreement (ILA) that keeps title with the district while granting priority use and shifting operational liability. Attorney Powers warned that a deed requires a board resolution declaring the parcel unnecessary for educational purposes and a survey; a lease requires careful liability assignment; and an ILA is a common approach when both parties are government entities. "Because they're a local government, we can do an interlocal agreement," Miss Esher explained, noting it can eliminate the need for a full survey while clarifying liability and access easements.

Board members said they preferred an ILA as the most straightforward, low‑burden approach that would allow the town to secure donors and renovate the site. Some members favored a long lease or a symbolic $1 transfer if a deed were pursued, but others noted the district's interest in retaining flexibility for future educational use. The board asked staff to draft proposed documents and to coordinate facilities, legal and the town on next steps. Staff also said any transfer or lease would need to account for existing or potential utility and easement rights affecting future district access or infrastructure work.

Next steps: staff will prepare options for the board, outreach to the Town of Reddick, and a recommended mechanism (ILA, lease, or deed) for a future board vote. The board directed that, if a quitclaim is considered, staff must first present a resolution to declare the property unnecessary for educational purposes.

Speakers quoted are identified in the district record.

Ending: The board's preference for an interlocal agreement keeps the parcel available for community use while preserving the district's title and options; staff will return with draft language and a recommended pathway for final action.