MONTICELLO, Maine — After nearly two years on the market, the Wellington School in Monticello has been sold.
Monticello Town Manager Ginger Prior said Tuesday that officials closed on the building in October after it was sold to the Northern Lighthouse Inc., which is one of the largest outpatient therapy departments in Aroostook County.
The agency provides care for children and adults with mental and behavioral disabilities and has offices in Presque Isle, Mars Hill, Houlton, Caribou and Waterville, according to its web site.
Prior said that the former school building was sold for $64,803. It is located on three acres of land on School Street. She said she believes that the Northern Lighthouse is currently in the process of remodeling the building.
Monticello is part of RSU 29, which also serves the communities of Houlton, Hammond and Littleton. The local school was closed at the end of the school year in June 2014 because of declining enrollment and rising expenses. Closing the school, which at the time served 66 students from pre-kindergarten through third grade, was expected to save the district $109,000 a year. The students were distributed to other schools in the Houlton area 13 miles away.
During a special town meeting on Oct. 27, 2015, 17 residents voted to allow the selectmen to sell or dispose of the Wellington School property in any way they deemed advisable. There was no opposition, as it was costing the town about $24,000 a year to heat and maintain the old school while the town searched for a buyer.
Officials from the Northern Lighthouse could not be reached for comment.
