The Summit Hill Elementary District 161 Board voted Wednesday to sell one of its shuttered elementary schools to the Prayer Center of Orland Park for $1.9 million.
The Prayer Center of Orland Park is an Islamic worship center designed “to worship God through serving people in all their spiritual, educational and social needs by developing and empowering our community on the values of faith, justice and equality,” its website said.
Prayer Center board member and its attorney Mohammed Nofal said this week they are excited to acquire the Arbury Hills Elementary School and property, 19651 S. Beechnut Drive, Mokena, and use the building to serve families from Mokena, Frankfort, Tinley Park and Orland Park.
“It’s a beautiful building,” he said.
The group thought about adding onto its Orland Park campus, but the costs were too prohibitive, Nofal said.
While prayer center leaders are still solidifying plans for the school and property, many ideas have been discussed, Nofal said. The group wants to offer educational programs, such as teaching letters and numbers to preschool-aged students, reading classes, crafts and Islamic studies for children as well as Arabic and English classes for adults. He said the building will still be used as a school.
There is no definite opening day yet, Nofal said. Once they close on the property, prayer center leaders and volunteers plan to perform general maintenance, paint and see what furniture might need to be ordered, Nofal said.
He said the grounds are well-maintained, and the center plans to keep them that way.
This winter, the District 161 Board approved closing Arbury Hills Elementary School in Mokena and Frankfort Square Elementary School in Frankfort due to declining enrollment, over the objections of hundreds of parents who asked the board to keep their neighborhood schools open. Both schools housed students in first to fourth grades.
District officials said they did not intend to maintain vacant buildings once they closed, but rather go through an appraisal process with their architect and attorneys.
The district did not want to see the schools empty, but rather attract suitable parties to buy or occupy the buildings, according to its website. In the event a building was sold, the district would use the funds towards the educational needs of its students and end the cycle of deferring maintenance work, its website said.
The district recently sought bids for Arbury Hills with a minimum asking price of $1.75 million, and received two offers last month.
The Prayer Center of Orland Park was the higher of the two bids, Superintendent Paul McDermott said. The other bid for $1.76 million came from the Chicago Autism Academy, he said.
District officials are still discussing how they will use the proceeds from the sale, McDermott said.
Plans to use the former Frankfort Square Elementary School, 7710 W. Kingston Drive, Frankfort, are also progressing.
The district is working out an agreement with the Frankfort Square Park District that will lease-to-own the school, and are hoping to finalize that deal by the August board meeting, McDermott said.
Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
