Mandan (N.D.) district is closing one of its elementary schools

The Mandan (North Dakota) district has decided to close Custer Elementary School at the end of the school year as the district faces changing enrollment trends and budget constraints.

The Bismarck Tribune reports that the school board voted to shutter the campus amid decreasing enrollment for elementary students districtwide, which has made it difficult to properly staff all buildings and use resources efficiently. District officials will now determine what comes next for the building, constructed in the 1950s.

Custer students will be reassigned to the six remaining elementary schools in the district. 

"Nobody's going to lose their job. We're going to take care of all of our staff," Superintendent Mike Bitz said.

District leaders have been weighing the closure as elementary enrollment declines. The district this year has around 2,000 students in K-5, according to the state Department of Public Instruction, but officials expect the number to drop by about 230 students over the next four years -- despite overall enrollment increasing.

Custer is the smallest of the district’s elementary schools, with 101 students enrolled this year.