A plan to close and relocate multiple schools in the Jefferson County (Kentucky) district is expected to save the district about $4 million.
The Louisville Courier-Journal reports that the proposal calls for closing Zachary Taylor Elementary and Liberty High; moving King Elementary students into Maupin Elementary; and relocating Waller-Williams Environmental and the Georgia Chaffee Teenage Parent Program (TAPP).
Superintendent Brian Yearwood said the closures would help the district get closer to achieving the massive cuts it needs to make to balance its budget.
The district is looking to cut its budget by $132 million when it presents its spending plan to the board in January.
The changes, Yearwood said, are necessary for the district's financial viability. The board is expected to vote on the plan on Dec. 9.
The reasoning behind closing Zachary Taylor, according to district officials, is that the school's enrollment is just under 50% of its optimal capacity. The school opened in 1959, and its most recent major renovation was in 1990.
This closure, Chief Operations Officer Rob Fulk said, is not expected to overcrowd nearby elementary schools. Absorbing Zachary Taylor students will bring the overall capacity of the schools to 88%, he said.
At Liberty High, the cost of educating students was nearly $67,000 each per year, according to the district.
The other school set to close is King Elementary; the district plans to move King students into Maupin's building, which is a 9-minute drive away.
King's enrollment is about 67% of its building's optimal capacity, and Maupin's is about 53%. Maupin is a newer building, constructed in 1998. King's building was constructed in 1968 and underwent significant renovations in 1988.
The district could save roughly $1.6 million each year by closing King Elementary, Fulk said. If the district is able to sell the land the school is on, he estimates it is worth about $800,000.
The savings from closing Zachary Taylor are similar, except that the land is worth significantly more--$3 million, Fulk said.
