The Dunlap CUSD 323 Board of Education voted to approve a real estate exchange agreement intended to allow construction of an alternate entrance to the high school and to authorize the board president to finalize the exchange once legal descriptions are complete.

Board members said the land swap is necessary to keep the entrance project on schedule and to provide a long-term access solution for the high school. The board approved a resolution and directed the board president to sign final documents after survey work and legal descriptions are completed.

During discussion, one board member asked whether the district obtained an appraisal or broker’s opinion of value before agreeing to an exchange that involves parcels of substantially different sizes — about 0.62 acres versus 0.04 acres, according to discussion in the meeting. A district staff member acknowledged no appraisal had been done and said the exchange was negotiated to secure access needed for the project; attorneys for both sides had reviewed the agreement, and a final survey and legal descriptions remain outstanding.

Several board members asked that the final documents be circulated to the full board before the president executes them. District staff said that similar delegations had been used recently to expedite time‑sensitive projects and that the district would email the finalized agreement once the legal descriptions are inserted.

Board discussion also raised logistics for construction: the district expects the alternate entrance will be closed for a period during construction, but staff said there is not yet a firm timeline because the district is dependent on the landowner’s schedule and contractor availability. The staff representative said the landowner has a “very full busy schedule,” and the district will coordinate to minimize public impact.

The board took a roll-call vote on the resolution. The motion carried with a majority of yes votes and one recorded no vote; the resolution authorizes the exchange and grants authority to the board president to complete technical finalizations required to close on the parcels.

The board’s action removes a procedural barrier so project work can proceed once the survey and legal descriptions are finalized; staff said the exchange is intended to “square off” the landowner’s parcel while securing the access the district needs.

Details of the final legal descriptions and any change to the fair‑market‑value language will be provided to the board when available.