ADAMS TWP — The Clarence C. Brown Education Center on Butler's south side could close June 30.

Rebecca Brown, Mars School Board vice president who is on the Clarence Brown joint operating committee for eight years, announced at Tuesday's school board meeting that the Intermediate Unit 4 has recommended the school be closed.

Brown said when the school opened almost 35 years ago and for 25 years thereafter, the school educated county students with severe disabilities, both medical and emotional, from kindergarten through age 21.

Ten years ago, Brown said, the school began providing only emotional support and life skills services. But when the Butler School District began providing emotional support to its students in-house at the beginning of this school year, attendance at Clarence Brown dropped dramatically.

Brown said while 60 students per year were at the school in the past, enrollment now is down to 15. Of those 15 students, six will graduate in June.

The students are from the Seneca Valley, South Butler County, Moniteau, Karns City and Mars school districts.

Brown said the operating committee owns the Clarence Brown building on Pittsburgh Pike Road, and the Intermediate Unit 4 runs the programs.

The IU said based on a financial review, it recommended the school be closed at the end of the school year and the building sold.

The school board on Tuesday voted to approve the closing. The other four school districts also will vote on the closing.