High School Sale on eBay Brings in 9 Bids as School Hopes to Remain Open
A high school in Pennsylvania is going to extremes in order to cover a budget crisis and remain open. The school has listed itself for sale on eBay, with the opening bid of $599,995 being the exact amount the school needs to open its doors in the fall.
The Learning Center, an alternative high school program, has listed itself as a "pre-owned, but extremely successful, public high school" on the online auction site. The school district faces a $2 million deficit, and The Learning Center needs approximately one quarter of that amount to stay open.
Why list the school on eBay? The idea came from a former student and his father who hoped to gain national attention for the cause and save the school.
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"It was realistic that if it did get attention, that someone would put up that money. It's like throwing a Hail Mary pass. It's a long shot, but sometimes they play out," Steve Young told ABC News.
His son, Casey, attended the Center for a year when he was struggling, and Steve gives the school full credit for turning Casey around.
"It could have saved his life," he explained.
Should someone win the auction, he or she will be bestowed the honor of giving the commencement speech, season tickets to all the football games, a large pizza and a personalized Learning Center coffee cup. If that's not enough to entice someone, there is also the matter of selecting the school mascot.
"You get to choose a mascot … out of the following three: a beaver, a hedgehog or groundhog, all wearing an American Indian headdress. (If you wish to select another animal you would need to pay an additional $7.65 over your winning bid to cover the additional Photoshop expense)," the ad says.
According to reports, The Learning Center already has nine bids, which would ensure it remains open. Bidding closes Wednesday afternoon.
