Foreclosure Proceedings Against Rapid City Elementary School Begin
Here's something you don't hear about very often. An elementary school is in danger of being foreclosed on. Sort of.
According to the Rapid City Journal, General Beadle Elementary School in Rapid City was supposed to pay a special assessment tax starting in 2016. The school never paid them for a variety of reasons, including that notices were sent to the wrong address.
The Rapid City Area School Board was notified of the proceedings at their school board meeting on Monday night when a group called South Dakota Citizens for Liberty (SDCFL) notified the board that they had begun foreclosure proceedings. The school was 60 days away from being foreclosed.
The unpaid taxes total $8,526.37.
Crazy story, right? It's a little confusing but to make a long story short, the SDCFL bought the tax lien from Pennington County to protect the school from being taken over and foreclosed by an unscrupulous developer. The school board thanked the group for their actions and owned up to the massive screw-up.
If you're wondering why it is a tax-supported school paying taxes, there is a reason for it.
Normally, schools are exempt from property taxes. However, they are not exempt from special assessments. The delinquent taxes on the property stem from the city's storm water drainage special assessment. The General Beadle property is the only one the school district is delinquent in paying.
The district will have to pay the taxes, interest and fees to the SDCFL.