STROUDSBURG, Pa. — The Ramsey School on Thomas Street in Stroudsburg has sat vacant for over seven years, but according to Monroe County Commissioners, that won't be for long.
The county is temporarily moving its Domestic Relations and Probation offices inside the school while the courthouse is under renovation.
There are mixed opinions from parents on moving the offices, specifically probation.
"Honestly, I'm not really worried about it. They are currently in the courthouse, which is a block from my house, and I've never felt unsafe playing in the town square, so I don't really see much of a difference having them be in the school," Catherine Duryea, a parent, and Thomas Street resident said.
"I'm not too happy about it. You know we have a lot of kids here, and probation can mean anything from a misdemeanor to something extremely violent. We don't know," Sharie Zumaete, a parent from Stroudsburg, said.
The Ramsey School sits just one block from the Monroe County Courthouse; both are residential areas.
County Commissioner John Christy says that these two offices are the last two areas for renovation, and there is no space available for them to go to.
He says on a slow day, the Probation office sees about 20 to 25 people, and on a heavy day, about 50.
Christy says as part of the contract with the school district to use the school, the county is paying for upgrades to the plumbing, bathrooms and adding air conditioning.
"You are having an unused building upgraded so for possible use, whatever that is. The school district decides on the building afterward, and it will be air-conditioned. It could be used, you know, 12 months out of the year," Christy said.
Once the offices open, the playground at Ramsey School will close during business hours. Parents tell Newswatch 16 that's something they're not happy about. Christy says this was the school district's decision.
"It sucks because I take my son there to play some afternoons too, and it's the closest playground we have right now," Zumaeta said.
"That is upsetting. It's the only playground for this whole neighborhood, and so the fact that it's going to be closed all day is a big deal, especially during the Summer when kids aren't in school," Duryea said.
At any given time, about 60 employees will be working in the building, a good portion of which Christy says will be probation officers and bailiffs.
The offices are expected to open at the end of October or early November.
Once open, Christy estimates the offices will remain in the school for a little over a year.
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