The De Af Draai Foundation, manager of the MFA ‘t Brughuus village hall in Valthermond, is once again experiencing financial problems. The municipality of Borger-Odoorn, together with the board, is looking for a solution to put an end to the financial malaise. One option that is being investigated is housing OBS De Aanloop in the building.
Finances have been a recurring problem at the foundation since 2020. This year too, it appears that there is a deficit of 32,000 euros. The municipality will step in and make this amount available to cover the foundation’s deficit.
The financial problems are partly caused by high energy bills. The foundation rents the building from Woonservice.
The municipality does not have a structural solution for the recurring financial problem. Councilor Ankie van Tongeren (CDA) calls it a ‘difficult building’. “The building does not lend itself well to how it is intended, you arrive at a staircase and first have to go upstairs. We are perhaps looking at other possible uses for the building, but you are still faced with an intermediate period during which the costs cannot be covered.”
“An MFA that houses a school, such as in Nieuw-Buinen, runs much better,” says Van Tongeren. “There is more traffic from students and parents there. That is why we want to see if we can also fill ‘t Brughuus in this way.”
Since OBS De Aanloop Valthermond is outdated and suffers from technical problems, it is ready for a new location. The municipality is investigating whether the school can be accommodated in MFA ‘t Brughuus and what this means for the village hall function in the MFA.
“If the solution is for a school to be included in the MFA, then that will only be possible in a few years,” says Van Tongeren.
The municipality is now investigating what the best option is for OBS De Aanloop. New construction at the current location is also an option. “So there is also a chance that the school will not move into the building, then as a municipality we will have to think about completely different alternatives,” says Van Tongeren.
The file doesn’t give Van Tongeren a headache yet, she says. “There has to be a solution for this.”