Mayor Robert Relich did not consult the residents of Godzieszów about the idea. He definitely should have, out of respect for them. Historical information already indicates that the school in Godzieszów was built by the village residents. The activities of the Community Committee, led by Barbara Nowak, united the residents of Godzieszów. Construction began in 1989, and the school began operating in 1992.
“The residents built this school with their own hands,” says Arkadiusz Szczęsny, who informed us about the plans to sell the property. “They carried bricks and collected contributions. There were, of course, grants, but they did everything they could with their own hands,” Szczęsny adds.
The municipality transferred the building’s management to Hydro-Tech sp. z o.o. Residents adapted the school gymnasium into a community center with kitchen facilities. The hall is used to organize family events, including christenings and First Communions. The village head rents one small room from Hydro-Tech for a fee.
“We found the draft resolution on the municipality’s website. The justification says that the municipality wants to sell the school building to the St. Christopher Foundation with a 99% discount. In our assessment, the building is worth PLN 800,000 to PLN 1,000,000. So the school will go for no more than PLN 10,000,” adds Arkadiusz Szczęsny.
The president of the St. Christopher Foundation is Rev. Krzysztof Kiełbowicz, parish priest of the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption in Lwówek Śląski. The priest is also a partner in two companies involved in metals. Most of the Foundation’s expenses go toward salaries and insurance, that is, administrative costs. The Foundation’s 2022 financial statement shows that its largest revenue came from accommodating refugees, amounting to more than PLN 2 million. The Foundation recorded a profit of PLN 1 million in 2022.
We asked Mayor Robert Relich by email on February 16 about the sale of the school building in Godzieszów and its valuation. We are awaiting a response.