The Wayne Highlands School District has been contacted by Hess Corporation regarding a possible gas lease for the Preston and Damascus Area school properties.
Superintendent Tom Jenkins says they’re currently reviewing a standard 20-25 page lease, to be discussed at the District’s committee meeting in March. Should the committee choose to move ahead, they’ll invite a Hess representative to meet with the Board in April.
“All we’ve done is make a contact to say, ‘Show us what you have. We’ll take a look at it. We’re open to discussing it,’” Jenkins said. “But, we’ve got a lot of details to really discuss before we do anything.”
Jenkins said he wasn’t able to say how much money the school is being offered at this point, until they receive more details. “We would weigh the fact that a gas lease could generate revenue for the school district. But, we’d also look at what are the downsides. Are there safety issues? Are there water issues? So, we’d want a lot more details,” he said.
“Obviously, it could generate revenue for the school district ...But, we’ve got to make sure that everybody’s safe and that it’s done properly. So, that’s going to be a big concern of ours,” he added.
Asked how soon the Board could make a decision, Jenkins said it could be as early as this Spring or Summer.
Asked if Hess Corp was interested in any other District properties, Jenkins said, “They’re only interested in Damascus and Preston, because right now ...Hess is only doing leases in northern Wayne County; they’re not doing anything in Central Wayne. That’s what the representative said to me.”
The School District has 31 acres in Preston Township, and 23 acres in Damascus.
