The I's need to be dotted and T's need to be crossed, but the former Clay Central/Everly 7-12 grade building has a new lease on life.

The school board on Monday agreed to sell the entire school property to Guardian Education and Athletic Services (GEA) for $5,000. Once formalities are completed and the purchase agreement is signed, the building will officially change possession to the non-profit firm.

"The district has put a fair amount of money into the building, and it'd be nice to see it used for a positive purpose," said Board Member Brian Schmidt.

Two of GEA's founding members, Brent Koppie and JJ Cassaro, were on hand to outline their plans for the building. GEA intends to transform the former school into an "intermediate college program," according to Koppie, with a soft opening slated for spring 2021 semester with around 10 students. A hard opening would follow in the fall of 2021 with between 36-60 students, and if capacity goals are met within the first year of operation, the next goal would include expansion of facilities and staff to accommodate up to 100 students per year.

Koppie said GEA would cap enrollment at around 100 students, as the facility is geared towards a small learning environment. Portions of the building will be renovated into dormitories to house students as well.

A big portion of GEA's mission is to help students achieve their athletic goals. Koppie said the Everly school's expansive sports facilities helped it stand above two other potential locations for the academy.

"The athletic facilities over there are fantastic," he told board members. "There are a lot of opportunities."

According to GEA's business plan, the firm intends to create a "post-secondary program aimed at athletes who wish to continue their athletic careers while continuing their education."

"What separates GEA from regular community colleges or universities is that many of the students we will work to attract are not currently achieving the ACT/SAT scores, GPA or class rank to gain enrollment to many collegiate programs," stated the business plan summary. "Some of these students will be dealing with learning disabilities while some will be due more to circumstances such as a difficult home environment, the need to help support their families while in school, etc."

Koppie said GEA hopes to partner with Iowa Lakes Community College so students can take classes either in person or online. The program will be tuition based with individual educational support offered as well as athletic training in the student's desired sport.

"The benefit with coming to us is that they'd get a lot more one-on-one attention," Koppie said.

GEA plans to offer wrestling, mixed martial arts, soccer and baseball with planned growth to include additional sports later on. Its long-term goal is to eventually host competitive sporting events at the Everly location.

Koppie said GEA hopes to recruit students from across the nation. Staff will be on site 24 hours a day, and a structured schedule will keep students focused on their goals.

"It's not just an open, come-and-go-as-you-please campus," Koppie said.

Koppie also explained the type of student GEA intends to attract.

"We're not looking at running a juvenile detention center or anything like that," he said. "These are kids that are very focused and driven."

The school board unanimously accepted GEA's offer on a roll call vote. After the meeting, Koppie said it was a dream come true. He and the firm's fellow founding members have had a vision for the program "for years," and he looked forward to seeing it become a reality.

"It feels great," Koppie said. "It's a very surreal feeling."

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According to CC/E Superintendent Kevin Wood, the plan is to shift ownership of the Everly building to GEA "as soon as possible."

Koppie explained that while GEA would have liked to offer more for the Everly facility, various renovation expenses created limitations. A sprinkler system will need to be installed in the dorms, and heating and cooling upgrades also need attention.

CC/E Superintendent Kevin Wood said the district will be in contact with its attorney to draw up a purchase agreement and get GEA in the building "as soon as possible." Assistant Superintendent Scott Scharn believed the development would be a good thing for the Everly community.

"The school district is doing a great thing here," he said.