Butler School District is getting closer to choosing a consolidation plan. It has not been an easy process, but it has been an engaging one.

More than 300 people attended Monday’s school board meeting, where Superintendent Dale Lumley observed there is never a good time to close schools, but “this really is the perfect storm for consideration for consolidation of schools.”

Few would argue otherwise. A steady decrease in enrollment and increasing costs make it necessary to close at least a few of the district’s 14 buildings, which are operating overall at about 55 percent capacity. It would be irresponsible not to consider options for consolidation.

The debate isn’t about the necessity; rather, it’s about which schools to close.

Thomas and Williamson Project Management, a Pittsburgh consultant, originally proposed closing six or seven of the district’s 11 elementary schools and reconfiguring grades in the remaining schools: kindergarten through grades 3 or 4, 4 or 5 through 6, 7 through 9 and 10 through 12. Those plans included closing all three of the city’s elementary schools: Broad Street, Center Avenue and Emily Brittain, while fifth and sixth graders, and possibly fourth graders, would occupy the junior high school building and junior high classes would move to the intermediate-high school complex. That would save between $5 million and $6 million per year.

The proposal met some public opposition, particularly from a group of residents who want to preserve neighborhood elementary schools. The group, Butler Residents for Quality Schools, countered with a plan to close the junior high building and keep more of the elementary schools open. They said their plan would save the district $4 million per year while preserving the K through 6 model.

In response, Thomas and Williamson this week presented two new options. One plan included maintaining a kindergarten to sixth grade configuration and closing the junior high school plus three elementary schools. The other would entail a K through 4 configuration and keep the junior high building. Both new plans would keep one city elementary school open, Emily Brittain.

The K to 6 plan would save $2.4 million per year for the district, and the plan that has a K to 4 configuration that keeps Emily Brittain open is projected to save $3.5 million per year.

The new proposals instantly have altered the debate. Butler City Council passed a resolution backing the plan that retains Emily Brittain and the junior high, while the Butler Residents for Quality Schools group, after its initial fury of activity, has fallen silent — a silence that might be interpreted as consent.

Superintendent Lumley says the board is likely to choose one of its options at its Jan. 12 meeting. A public hearing will follow on Feb. 4, with individual school visits following. After 90 days, on May 11, the school board will take a final vote on closings.

That leaves one month for public discussion on all the options, followed by three months for debate on “Plan A” — whichever option the board chooses.

That might seem like a quick turnaround, but as Lumley pointed out: “This really is the perfect storm for consideration for consolidation of schools. This is not a new idea. Consolidation has really been talked about for the last 20 to 25 years. But it’s never been the right time to do it.”

Until now.