Despite the emotional objections of parents, the Greenbrier County Board of Education voted to close Williamsburg Elementary School citing decreased enrollment and the cost of running the 55-student school. The board approved the closure 4-1 in Saturday’s meeting.
In addition to the 23 people who spoke against closing the school, many parents cried openly and yelled angrily in response to the board’s decision. Nearly 150 people attended the meeting.
Superintendent John Curry said financial concerns drove the decision, and that resources need to be redistributed in a manner that will benefit the needs of all 5,343 students in the county.
“I feel very confident that these cost savings and those resources can be distributed to make a positive impact on Greenbrier County,” Curry said of plans to close the school once the school year ends in June.
Curry said the county would save over $466,000 a year with the closure. Over $809,000 is budgeted for the school each year. The closure plan calls for busing students to Lewisburg and Frankford.
Parent Danielle Brown voiced concern at the roads the children would have to travel, some for as long as 51 minutes. Brown said the road was constantly icy during the winter and “barely wide enough for one car, let alone a bus.”
“It isnt fit for a billy goat, much less the precious cargo of our children,” said Roger Williams.
The closure will also result in cutting nine other school jobs, comprised of four and a half teaching positions and four and a half service personnel positions.
Source: www.herald-dispatch.com
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