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 has been 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 emotional support and life skills services only. 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 explained the joint operating committee owns the Clarence Brown building on Pittsburgh Pike Road, and the Intermediate Unit 4 runs the programs.

The IU presented a financial review to the joint operating committee at its Nov. 12 meeting, and based on that financial information, it recommended the school be closed at the end of the school year and the building sold.

“It’s sad because it’s been a mutually beneficial partnership between the IU and the five school districts,” Brown said.

She agrees with the IU that the school is no longer sustainable.

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

Mars board President Dayle Ferguson said a public hearing will be held on the school closing as required by state school code. Another vote will be taken by the five school boards in May.

Ferguson said one student from the Mars district attends Clarence Brown.

“We will make sure he or she is very well taken care of (after the school closes).” Ferguson said.