An anonymous offer of $800,000 from an Old Mission Peninsula resident to keep Old Mission Elementary open is still being explored by the Traverse City Area Public Schools. Superintendent Paul Soma updated the full board on discussions with the group that represents the donor at the board's regular meeting Monday evening.

"We met before Spring Break, we've done due diligence to confirm the validity of the offer … and that has been confirmed," says Soma. 

He stresses the offer of a financial gift to keep a school open is a unique situation and there are sensitivities and a variety of issues to address. It is still the potential donor's intention to make an official offer with restrictions tied to it.

"We purposely acknowledged there isn't an urgency to this, but certainly we want to move forward," Soma adds. "But getting it right is much more important than doing it fast."