There are four schools in the Allegany-Limestone School District. That number will soon drop to three since the school board has voted to close Limestone Elementary. "The folks in Limestone losing their elementary school, is incredibly painful but we do think it's in the best interest of the children," the District Superintendent Diane Munro said.
The superintendent also says a combination of annual budget cuts and a decreasing number of enrolled students over the years are among the reasons. Back in February, 2006 the school was in jeopardy of closing its doors but remained open. However four years later the situation hasn't gotten better. The school has dropped to 65 students from close to 100 students. "When it comes to the students there's a bit of concern over how small is too small. When you have class sizes that are ten or eleven and they are with the exact same children from K through 5," Munro said. "Really wanting to serve the kids... a broader access to friends and diverse personalities. And then the other piece is flexibility and access in terms of services."
The students will be transferred to Allegany Elementary more than ten miles away, starting in September. Some parents say this will be a difficult transition especially with the added drive time. In some cases there will be an hour and a half round trip bus ride daily.
As for jobs, the district is looking at removing seven positions. The elementary school is expected to close after the last week of school at the end of June. The superintendent says she is appointing a transition team that will decide what to do with the building after the closure.
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