Tamaqua Area School District has agreed to sell the former Rush Elementary school building for $1.2 million to use for the St. Jerome Regional School.

By a unanimous measure, the school board on Tuesday authorized the district to proceed with the agreement of sale for the school to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown.

Currently a K-12 setting, the Rush building offers alternative education, regular education, special education and school-to-work programs.

The district entered into an agreement with Behavioral Health Associates of Lehighton in August 2015 to provide services for the students. The district has been affiliated with BHA for more than seven years.

After the vote, board President Larry Wittig commented on the sale.

“It should be known that $1.2 million can be used only for capital projects; that’s either repair of buildings, roofs, driveways, whatever. It cannot be used for general operations,” Wittig said. “It is reserved for capital projects only.”

Superintendent Ray Kinder responded to a question asked by a member of the audience who wanted to know what will become of the students who are excelling in the building now that the district has agreed to sell it.

“The programs are offered at numerous campuses through the Behavioral Health Associates, so the students, again depending upon what their situation, the students have different time frames for determining what the next part of their education would be,” Kinder said.

He added that students who need to stay in the program would be transferred to one of BHA’s other locations.

He said BHA is also looking for a building.

The BHA lease expires June 30.

Kinder said the money from the sale would go into the district’s capital projects fund to help pay for large-ticket items in the district such as heating/cooling systems, roadwork, communication systems and roofs.

On Tuesday, St. Jerome Regional School Principal Amy M. Hannis-Miskar posted on the resource page of the school’s website from Philip L. Fromuth, Superintendent of Catholic Education for the Diocese of Allentown.

In the letter to parents, Fromuth said the diocese plans to move the St. Jerome Regional School from its present location at 250 W. Broad St. to the former Rush Elementary at 50 Meadow Ave. in Tamaqua.

The plan is to move into the new school over the summer, and be ready for the first day of the new school year that begins on Aug. 27.

“We believe this move, if successfully completed, would be a very positive development for the St. Jerome Regional School family,” Fromuth said. “The Rush Township school is newer and more spacious, and has more classrooms.

“In addition, there is ample parking and bus access, and there are fields for athletics and other uses.”

Fromuth said in the letter that the diocese would keep them informed as more information becomes available, and added that they expect the due diligence period to last between 30 to 45 days.

The sale is expected to be finalized after that time.

“The Catholic education of our youth remains a top priority, and the Diocese of Allentown, under the pastoral leadership of Bishop (Alfred A.) Schlert, is making investments in Catholic education in Schuylkill and Carbon counties,” he said.

A letter was read at the Masses at the two churches that make up St. John XXIII Parish over the weekend confirming the decision that Schlert has approved the request of the Rev. John Frink and the parish pastoral council and finance committee to close the former St. Jerome Church building.

St. John XXIII was formed in 2014 by the merger of St. Jerome Church and SS. Peter and Paul Church. Services have been held in both churches since that time.

Effective Pentecost Sunday, May 20, all services will be held at the former SS. Peter and Paul Church, which will become the seat of St. John XXIII Parish.

In January, The Roman Catholic Diocese of Allentown paid $101,000 for a property at 225 Pine St. to create a new parking lot for those who attend Masses and other functions at SS. Peter and Paul in Tamaqua, which is less than a block away at 307 Pine St.

The district had previously used the school to educate students in kindergarten and first grade. Before that, students in kindergarten through fifth grades attended. Previously, kindergarten through sixth grades attended there.