Selectmen mulled a decision to sell the Everett Educational Center Tuesday, but were warned to look before they leap into making any decisions on the future use of the property.

Town Meeting voted in April to give the building over to the Selectmen from the School Department, with the authority to sell it if they so choose.

Town Administrator Derek Sullivan cautioned Selectmen that if they decided to sell the property, the money made from the sale would not go to the Town's general fund. It could only be used for like items such as purchasing other real estate.

As far as uses for the property, Sullivan used the example of the Town of Yarmouth, who recently leased a vacant elementary school to Bridgewater State University for a $1 per year to build and maintain a satellite campus.

He said the amount of income coming to the town from students and staff is a major benefit to them.

Sullivan also said non-profit organizations coming to the Everett School could provide something for Wareham residents.

"The less we can supply to residents the more likely we'll have to rely on these non-profits," he said.

Town Attorney Rich Bowen explained that if the Selectmen wanted to sell the property, they would need to get a valuation of the property first. Then they would either seek proposals and accept the highest bidder or make a RFP with specifications of how the building would be used by the proposed bidders. In that case, a bid would be chose based both on who provides the most desirable use of the property and offers the most money.

The Everett Educational Center was built in 1918. In 2012, Hurricane Sandy damaged the building and ripped off part of it's facade. The building has served as a high school, a kindergarten center, an alternative school, and has housed offices in most recent decades.

Selectmen decided to give Sullivan 30 days to devise alternatives to selling the property before they made any further decisions.