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2 meetings to air school consolidation plans

BUTLER TWP — The Butler School District will have at least two meetings next month to further discuss proposed consolidation plans that could close up to seven schools.

The school board Monday night scheduled meetings for 6 p.m. Nov. 5 and 24 at the intermediate high school auditorium.

Superintendent Dale Lumley said he sees the Nov. 5 meeting being an open discussion by the board to narrow specific recommendations for consolidation and to explore other requested options stemming from the first consolidation meeting last Wednesday.

One of the options that will be discussed is whether to close the junior high school, a recommendation made by several parents.

Lumley said he thinks the meeting will be for the board to get a better understanding of the plan.

“The board hasn’t had too much time to review the plan,” he said.

Lumley said there will be an opportunity for the public to write down questions for the board to discuss at the meeting, but said the public’s participation in the Nov. 5 meeting will be “somewhat limited.”

“I think there will be more public participation on (Nov. 24),” he said.

The board listened to three recommendations this past Wednesday to improve the efficiency and usage of the district’s schools.

More than 600 teachers, parents and residents gathered at the intermediate high school to hear the consolidation plans presented by Thomas and Williamson Program Management, a Pittsburgh-based group.

The consulting firm outlined a dozen plans at the meeting, but recommended three plans, each of which would close the Broad Street, Center Avenue, Clearfield, Emily Brittain, Meridian, and Oakland elementary schools.

One plan also would close Summit and reconfigure the remaining four elementary schools, Center Township, Connoquenessing, McQuistion and Northwest, for kindergarten through third grade. Fourth through sixth graders would attend junior high school; seventh, eighth and ninth graders would attend the intermediate high school, and sophomores, juniors and seniors would attend the high school.

The second plan would keep Summit open with the same configurations, while the third plan also would keep Summit open but would keep fourth graders at the elementary level.

The consolidation plans are estimated to save the district $4.5 million to $5.7 million per year out of a $100 million budget.

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