Southern Indiana district plans to close 4 elementary schools in budget-cutting move

The Desperate Measures Are Starting :
By Associated Press
8:33 AM EST, March 5, 2010

NEW ALBANY, Ind. (AP) — Four elementary schools in New Albany will be closed under a budget-cutting plan proposed for the southern Indiana school district.

New Albany-Floyd County Schools Superintendent Bruce Hibbard says the school closings would save an estimated $1.8 million. The closings were included in a package of $6.6 million in cuts recommended Thursday night to the School Board.

The plan would shift fifth graders to the district’s three middle schools and other students to its nine remaining elementary schools.

Hibbard says he knows there will be anger over the school closings, but doing so will help prevent the layoffs of full-time teachers.
NEW ALBANY — New Albany-Floyd County Schools Superintendent Bruce Hibbard told The Tribune this morning that he will present 57 recommendations to the public and school board on Monday. Among the recommendations are moving all fifth graders to middle schools and closing Silver Street Elementary, Pine View Elementary, Children’s Academy of New Albany and Galena Elementary.

What’s funny is that I just saw Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels on Fox News Channel Tuesday talking about how much better his state is doing than others and dodging questions about whether he’d run as a running mate in 2012. He bragged about well the state of Indiana is doing.

So I don’t get, if that’s the case, why a school district has to take the drastic measure of potentially closing four elementary schools. This is a decision that can’t be made lightly. These are neighborhood schools and closing them will mean packing more kids into other schools further away.

One would think it would also mean a loss of jobs for teachers and staff at the four schools. To me, the biggest issue is the notion of putting 5th grade students into middle schools. No doubt a move done so as not to overcrowd elementary schools, this could be detrimental for the 5th graders.

I have a stepdaughter in the 5th grade and that age is a far cry from middle school. She wouldn’t be ready to be in school with kids who are so much more advanced socially and emotionally.

What’s important to note is these are recommendations. It’s not a done deal. And you can bet there will be a boatload of parents lined up and ready to fight the move to close the schools.