The Courier-Express reports that board members voted to close Luthersburg, Penfield and Sykesville Elementary Schools at the end of the school year.
The district will reassign Penfield students to Oklahoma and Juniata elementary schools in DuBois, Sykesville students to C.G. Johnson Elementary in Reynoldsville, and Luthersburg to Wasson Elementary in DuBois.
Asumag Com Sites Asumag com Files Uploads 2017 03 13 Enrollment Slide
Enrollment in the Du Bois Area district has declined steady since 2001
“We are talking about a total reconfiguration of all elementary schools due to declining enrollment,” says Board President Patty Fish. “This reconfiguration affects not only our finances but long-term maintenance of our buildings, evening out our classroom numbers across the district with a goal of 18 to 24 (not 30 to 40) children in a classroom instead of currently 10 in some and 28 in others."
Enrollment in the district has declined nearly 25 percent in the last 15 years—from 4,845 students in 2001 to 3,675 in 2016.
Mike Kennedy has been writing about education for American School & University since 1999. He also has reported on schools and other topics for The Chicago Tribune, The Kansas City Star, The Kansas City Times and City News Bureau of Chicago. He is a graduate of Michigan State University.
