Sea Isle City — The Sea Isle City elementary school has an old school bell and the town’s Historical Museum wants it.

School board members, however, are not sure if they want to give it away.

Sea Isle City Historical Museum President Michael Stafford came to the school board meeting July 21, asking the board to donate the century-old school bell to the museum.

In recent years, the bell was on display in the school hallway, by the entrance, but had to be moved.

“The bell was in the front foyer until a few years ago. Then the state came in and said it can’t be in the front foyer, because it is obstructing pathways to the exit,” board member Ellen Ramsey explained. “I think the town’s museum would be a good home for it, so everyone can see it.”

Putting the bell on display outside of the school building was briefly discussed, but dismissed because of potential theft, damage from salt air or vandalism.

Board President Valere Egnasko said she thought the bell should be loaned to the museum, but not given outright.

“That way, if a situation arises where the board might want the bell to come back, it still can,” Egnasko said.

She called for a resolution to loan the bell to the Historical Museum for display.

Stafford explained that it was the policy of the Sea Isle City Historical Society to not accept objects on loan.

“The school bell has been part of this school and this town for the better part of a century,” Stafford said. “It deserves the ongoing recognition it could get, being preserved and displayed at the museum. The museum would be honored to be trusted with the care of it.”

When asked by Stafford, Chief School Administrator Dr. Michael Schreiner explained the bell was sitting behind the bookshelves in the school’s former library, normally unused. That room was being used for that night’s meeting, due to a leak in the multi-purpose room.

Several board members said that, since the school was not displaying the bell in any way, it should be given to the town’s museum.

Egnasko put forth a resolution to loan the bell to the museum. It passed unanimously.

Stafford said he would have to go to the museum’s board, to see if they would change their policy and accept the bell on loan, rather than its policy against doing so.

Several board members asked Stafford to return to the board if the museum would not accept the bell on loan, so the school board could revisit whether to give the bell to the museum outright.