SCRANTON, Pa. — Facing an urgent shortage of classroom space, the Scranton School Board voted Monday to pursue the acquisition of the former Penn Foster building through eminent domain if a negotiated purchase cannot be reached.
School directors voted 7-2 to authorize district leadership to acquire the property at 925 Oak St. in North Scranton for $2.2 million via legal condemnation. Under Pennsylvania School Code, districts are permitted to exercise eminent domain to convert private property for public educational use when negotiations stall.
The decision allows district Solicitor Larry Moran Jr. to formally file a declaration of taking in the Lackawanna County Court of Common Pleas. Officials cited an immediate need for additional instructional facilities, noting that legal action would serve as a backstop should talks with the current property owner fail to produce an agreement.
