The Ironton City Schools will not be selling the old St. Lawrence School Building to the Ironton Catholic Schools on a land contract.

Ironton City Schools Superintendent Stephan Kingery said the district's legal counsel has informed him the proposed land contract is not permissible under state law.

"The law is specific on ways in which a school district can dispose of property," Kingery said. "We would have to put it up for auction if we did not sell the building to a government entity."

Kingery instead suggested that the public schools offer the parochial system a unilateral, five-year lease with the option to renew it twice after that.

"This gives them the 15-year option for use to justify putting a new roof on the building," Kingery said.

At a meeting last month, the board voted to offer the Catholic system a 15-year land contract at $500 a month. At the end of the 15 years, the Catholic system would own the building.

The parochial schools have used the old Lawrence Street facility as an elementary school since the mid-1970s. The private system officials requested a 15-year extension on their lease of the building.

Kingery said the St. Lawrence School needs a new roof, and parochial leaders wanted the assurance they would have the building for their use if they spent money to replace the roof.