The former Margaret Martin school building’s future remains uncertain — even a bit bipolar.

State lawmakers may soon consider a bill that would provide $6 million to help renovate and repair the historic Mississippi Landmark designated building.

Simultaneously, however, the Natchez mayor seems bent on selling the building.

Last week, Mayor Butch Brown said he was talking with a potential buyer for the building though he wouldn’t disclose the identity of the buyer. Nor would he say what the would-be buyer’s plans for the building might include.

The latest dance with a potential buyer comes only months after Brown worked with a developer to turn the school building into a housing development.

The city needs to clearly decide what it seeks to do with the school — renovate it if funds can be found or sell it.

Either option may have good outcomes, but some direction is needed to avoid a further quagmire.

No matter how historic the building is, state lawmakers likely have no interest in providing millions of dollars to fund the renovation of a building the city plans to turn around and flip to what may be a private purchaser.

The city alluded recently to the massive upkeep costs on the building, but upon further scrutiny, the majority of those costs have been covered by a grant. The grant only required the city to fork over a $22,000 match.

That’s hardly the massive burden the city initially claimed, which calls into question the motivations for selling. Sure, we understand it’s a big old building, and they’re expensive to own. Many Natchez residents can relate. But as a building owned by the public, the taxpayers deserve to know what the plan is and if a plan doesn’t exist, one needs to be created.