Updated: ISD 518 is high bidder, buys land for nearly $1.66 million

Julie Buntjer, The Daily Globe, Worthington, Minn.
·4 min read

Nov. 1—WORTHINGTON — Worthington Independent School District 518 has purchased a nearly 80-acre parcel of land following a public auction Tuesday morning. The purchase price was $20,750 per acre, according to Mark Zomer, auctioneer and owner of Zomer Company Realty and Auction, of Rock Valley, Iowa. That amounts to a total purchase price of nearly $1.66 million.

The sale sets a new Nobles County record for the highest amount paid per acre for tillable land, according to Nobles County Assessor Val Ruesch.

The property, referenced as property seven of nine sold at Tuesday's auction, is located directly north of the district's Learning Center and Community Education facilities along Crailsheim Road on the west side of Worthington.

Zomer conducted the auction for the Paul and Ruth Rensink family at the Nobles County Fairgrounds in Worthington. There were three active bidders on the Crailsheim Road property, including one farmer, an investor, and the school district, Zomer shared. He noted that the other parcels sold anywhere from $8,000 to $14,900 per acre.

All nine of the properties were offered in the choice method, meaning the top successful bidder had the option to select the tract of their choice. District 518 was the first top bidder of the auction, and thereby selected the nearly 80-acre parcel adjacent to Worthington's city limits.

ISD 518 Superintendent John Landgaard called Tuesday's land purchase a long-term investment by the school board. This situation is similar to when the district purchased land in the past, where Prairie Elementary was ultimately built.

"The school board wants to have the opportunity to expand as needed," Landgaard shared. "It was a great opportunity for the district to own this property to be able to plan long-term."

The vision for the nearly 80-acre parcel has not yet been solidified.

"I really don't know at this time," Landgaard said. "It could be everything and anything. It could be future buildings, it could be athletic fields, it could help to address water mitigation.

"It's just a piece of ground that presents a lot of wonderful opportunities for the district for academics and extracurriculars."

Landgaard said he anticipates the land will remain agricultural, likely rented to a farmer, until the district determines a different use for it.

District 518 Public Relations and Communications Coordinator Anne Foley issued the following statement about the land purchase: "District 518 and our school board have a long history of being mindful in preparation for our continued growth and addressing potential future needs. They continue to use fiscal responsibility and foresight to have options available to have space for our students in their academic opportunities and activities."

The new property, contiguous to the district's Learning Center, Community Education and Intermediate School campus, will avoid segmentation and provide multiple efficiencies for transportation, staff, and other community collaborations, Foley shared.

"Purchasing additional land that is adjacent to current land holdings helps with the continued growth of a campus approach, being mindful of affordable property that can be utilized in long range planning for our district," Foley said. "That may address academic programs, activity space and other options like water quality/mitigation. This allows for future collaborative efforts that support the overall educational vision, mission and direction for the future direction of the district."

According to the property information listed on Zomer's website, the 79.78-acre parcel contains approximately 70.75 tillable acres, with 3.2 acres enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program. The acres in CRP yield an annual payment of $544, with the contract ending Sept. 30, 2034. The school district will receive the CRP payments beginning in October 2024.

The legal description of the parcel is the south half of the northeast quarter of Section 21, Worthington Township. The current real estate taxes on the parcel, according to the Nobles County Auditor-Treasurer's Office, is $3,576.

Zomer promoted the property as offering "endless opportunities to either continue to farm this land or for future development potential as this tract of land is located directly adjacent to the city limits of Worthington."

District 518's closing date on the parcel is slated for Jan. 4, 2024, with full possession of the property on March 1, 2024.