Education Minister Anne Tolley announced the closure of College Street School and Forbury School last week, as part of a review of South Dunedin schools.
A neighbouring property owner, Ian Hurst, of Hurst Holdings, and director of Oxford Court Resthome Ltd, has expressed an interest in expanding Oxford Court's aged care facility on to the Forbury School premises.
Mr Hurst said he could not give any more detail about his plans because it was too early in the disposal process.
Forbury School principal Janice Tofia was not surprised by the interest in the school.
She said there had also been interest shown by a community organisation.
Mrs Tofia was unconcerned by the potential buyers.
Despite his interest in the property, Mr Hurst said it could be a long wait before he or any other private buyers had the opportunity to buy the school - if at all.
Once any Crown-owned property is declared surplus to requirements, its disposal follows a four-step process.
The property is first offered to other government agencies or local authorities.
If the property is not required for another public work, then it may be offered back to the previous owner or to their beneficial successors.
If the property is not sold through the offer-back process, then it is assessed for any related Treaty of Waitangi claims or claims under the Sites of Significance process.
Treaty claims are assessed under the Maori Protection Mechanism.
If any claim is successful, then usually the property is land-banked, which means it is bought by the Office of Treaty Settlements and held pending settlement of the claim by government.
Ownership may eventually transfer to the claimants.
If Forbury School is not claimed under these three steps, it will then be offered for sale on the open market.
A Ministry of Education spokesman said school properties usually fell into two categories, in terms of the length of time it took for them to be sold.
Properties with difficulties such as subdivision, multiple titles and Maori land claims involving disputed or collective ownership, could take up to 38 months to sell.
However, straightforward disposals usually took 16 months to sell, the spokesman said.
Ocean View School was closed in 2008 and was sold relatively quickly on the open market in 2010.
High Street School was closed earlier this year but the board of trustees at Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Otepoti has advised of its intent to relocate from Sunnyvale to the High Street premises.
Waldronville, Tomahawkand Corstorphine Schools were closed in the past two years, but are still in the disposal process under Section 40.
St Patrick's Catholic School (Dunedin) was closed in December last year.
However, because it is owned by the Catholic Diocese of Dunedin, it does not have to go through the Ministry of Education's disposal process and has been put on the real estate market.
