What used to be Shiloh Elementary, located at 6200 Dallas County Road 30 in Sardis, will be auctioned Wednesday on the steps of the Dallas County Courthouse.

In their regular meeting, the Dallas County Board of Education voted to auction the school, which closed at the end of the 2012-2013 school year due to a severe drop in enrollment.

School board attorney John Pilcher said after the highest bid is made, the board will make the decision of who to sell the building to.

“It’ll be an auction format and we’ll solicit what we hope to be the highest bid,” Pilcher said. “We’re hoping to get a high one.”

Because Shiloh was used for a public purpose, Pilcher said the board would like to see the building remain a public entity. However, the building will most likely go to whoever places the highest bid, he said.

“The school board has a concern that we’re taking a public facility that’s been used for multiple purposes for many, many years out of the public domain if we sell it to a third party,” Pilcher said. “But again, the first question will be what’s the best and highest bid — then we’ll move forward from there.”

Shiloh is the third school in the county to close due to a drop in enrollment. In a previous interview with the Times-Journal, Pilcher said county schools are closing simply because residents are moving, leaving a lack of students in the classroom.

“It’s been an ongoing issue in parts of Dallas County for several years. As those populations have decreased, the school board has had to adjust its infrastructure and close several schools,” Pilcher said. “I’m hopeful that this closing will be the last one for a while, though.”