Peachtown asks Wells College to donate a school building

Peachtown School Superintendent Alyssa Binns Gunderson told The Citizen that the proposed transaction was “legally permissible” because Peachtown and Wells are nonprofit educational institutions.

Peachtown started a petition asking the college’s board of directors to donate the property to the school. As of Monday, the petition had 959 signatures.

“As long as all of Wells’ debts are paid, they should be able to give away their wealth in this way,” Gunderson said.

Wells College, which closed June 30, is working with the state attorney general’s office to divest its assets. The process involves Peachtown and Community Medical Center, both located on the college’s campus.

Gunderson said Peachtown is exploring other options, including purchasing the property from Wells. If the college does not donate or sell the property to the school, it has received a “very generous offer” for an alternative site, she said.

Founded in 1990, Peachtown was located on Main Street in Aurora until it moved to the Wells College campus in 1992. The school’s founder, Barbara Post, is a graduate of Wells College.

Gunderson had previously told The Citizen that both institutions benefited from the arrangement. Peachtown hosted prospective teachers from the college’s education department, while elementary school students were able to use other facilities on the Wells campus, including the gymnasium and swimming pool.

In the 2023–24 school year, Peachtown had 27 students in preschool through eighth grade.

The start of the new school year is just weeks away, but Gunderson said Peachtown is “well positioned to open in September and serve our students for many years to come.” She praised school board members, including Post, for their work on the issue.

“We have a very generous, creative and resourceful community behind us and we will do it!” added Gunderson.