KSDK-TV reports that the initial proposal before the board had called for 10 closings, but board members opted to spare two schools and put off a decision on another campus.
Under the plan approved by the board, the district will close Clay, Dunbar, Farragut and Ford elementary schools, Fanning Middle School, and Cleveland and Northwest Academy high schools. The buildings will close at the end of the school year.
Three more campuses—Sumner High School, Hickey Elementary School and Monroe Elementary School—were included in the initial closure plan. The board voted to give Hickey and Monroe a reprieve and to delay until March a decision on Sumner.
In addition, the approved changes call for Carnahan High School to be converted from a high school to a middle school over a three-year period. The NJROTC program that had been housed at Cleveland High will move to a different campus.
In a news release, the school district says the move will enable it to reallocate resources and staff members "to provide a more supportive, engaging and equitable educational experience for all students."
“Our district has the talent and resources it needs to provide every, single student with a world-class educational experience,” says Superintendent Kelvin R. Adams. “However, that talent and those resources become less effective when they are stretched over 68 buildings, some of which have fewer than 200 students. By consolidating, each school and every student will benefit.”
The vote on the plan was scheduled to take place last month, but the board put off action for a month after backlash from parents, nonprofits and politicians.
