The Municipal Committee held an emergency meeting on Thursday 29 October at 12:00, via videoconference, to discuss a single item: the terms and conditions of the tender for the lease of a property to house the 4th Artemida Primary School. The urgency is explained in the invitation. The donation from ‘AEGEAS AMKE Cultural and Charitable Organisation’, which covers the school’s rent, was accepted by the Municipal Committee under Decision 542/2026 only for the period from 1 September to 31 October 2026. From November onwards, the rent must be paid by the Municipality.
The funds have already been committed. By means of a decision to enter into a multi-year commitment, published on the Diafania transparency portal on 19 October, the Municipality has committed €885,000 for the ‘Rent for the 4th Artemida Primary School’: €11,800 for 2026, €70,800 for each year from 2027 to 2038, and €23,600 for 2039. This breakdown amounts to €5,900 per month for 150 months, i.e. a lease of twelve and a half years, from November 2026 to April 2039. This is the maximum amount envisaged by the Municipality. As the tender is a competitive bidding process, the final rent may turn out to be lower.
What the Council is asking for
The specifications were unanimously set by the Municipal Council in Resolution 121/2026 on the necessity of the lease, which was published on 14 September. There are 174 pupils attending the 4th Primary School, and 14 classrooms are required. The property must have a minimum area of 650 square metres, toilet facilities, support and administrative areas, meet the suitability criteria for a school and allow an emergency vehicle to access the building. Any alterations required shall be carried out by the owner at their own expense.
The decision also specifies where the property must be located: in block C2234 of Town Planning Unit 13 in Artemida. In other words, the tender is not open to any building in the town that would meet the requirements, but is restricted to a specific block. The decision does not specify whether this refers to the building where the school currently operates. In July, the Council had commissioned an engineer to ‘regularise unauthorised structures’ at the 4th Primary School, under a contract due to expire on 20 October. Separately, the municipality rents a plot of land for the school, which is used as a playground, under a lease running until 31 January 2038.
Rent until 2039, study for a new school
At the same time, the local council is planning its own building. On 1 July, it awarded a contract, worth 30,752 euros including VAT, ‘services of a scientific consultant for the preliminary design and tender documents for the construction of the 4th Artemida Primary School’, based on study 93/2026 by the Technical Department. The process from a preliminary design to a school becoming operational involves securing funding, the final design, the tender process and construction, which usually takes years. The commitment until 2039 suggests that the Municipality does not expect a new building any time soon. Whether the lease can be terminated earlier, once the Municipality acquires its own building, will be determined by the terms of the tender notice.
School rents are already putting a strain on the budget. As we reported on 11 October, schools cost the municipality over 860,000 euros a year in rent, of which 537,000 is for the 2nd Artemida Lower Secondary School. If the auction closes at the maximum bid, the 4th Primary School will add a further 70,800 euros a year.
What’s next
By Thursday evening, the Municipal Committee’s decision had not yet been published. Once approved, a summary of the tender notice is published and property owners have a deadline by which to express their interest. This is followed by an eligibility check by a committee and an open, oral auction. None of the documents posted specify who is to pay the rent from 1 November until the new contract is signed, nor do they mention the relocation of classes. We will publish the terms and conditions as soon as the tender notice is published.
Source: Municipality of Spata–Artemida, notice of the 33rd emergency meeting of the Municipal Committee, 29 October 2026; Decision on the assumption of a multi-year commitment (ADA 9K0IΩ1X-NH1), Diafania 19 October 2026; Municipal Council Decision 121/2026 (ADA RMMTΩ1X-OLA), Diafania 14/09/2026; Administrative Decision No. 542/2026 (ADA 93RYΩ1X-06Ψ), Diafania 15/09/2026; contract award ADA ΨΘΠ5Ω1X-Α1Ε, Diaugia 1 July 2026.
