Lehighton Area School District agreed to sell two of its elementary schools Wednesday morning following a public auction.

Duane and Lavona Schleicher bid $350,000 on East Penn Elementary.

“We’re planning an adult living complex, a retirement type of home,” Duane said following the auction. “Our family donated the land to the school district in the1950s. Our family owns all around it. We wanted to keep it nice looking. “We’re hoping to start with construction immediately after closing on the building. We’ll start with zoning approvals and engineering right away.”

Schleicher said he anticipates the adult living center will be a $4 million project.

Behavioral Health Associates bid $350,000 on Mahoning Elementary.

Executive Director Richard Caffery said BHA will keep it as a school and use it for multiple programs.

“I don’t think it’s a matter of closing one of our buildings and moving it to Mahoning,” he said. “We have some programs we’re looking to move in there. We had been looking for a place to expand and when this became available, it was a natural fit.”

Caffery said he hopes BHA can have programs up and running at the school for the start of the 2018-19 school year.

The buyers were the only two bids for the respective buildings.

Lehighton solicitor William Schwab said he anticipates closing and the official transfer of property will take place in July or August.

The district is closing its four existing elementary schools and opening a $33 million elementary center in the fall of 2018.