District in New York will close elementary, convert it to middle school

The West Seneca (N.Y.) Central School District is converting East Elementary School into a middle school for grades 5 through 8, effective July 1. The Buffalo News reports that the move is part of the district's plan to reconfigure middle schools and change grade configurations at some elementary schools. School Board President Daniel A Nagy says that the district will save money with the move and that students are better off in a middle school that has more than two grades.