Barbara Frantz Center Ave Elementary school principal speaks during a Meeting with building admins, teachers, and parents at Center Avenue Elementary leading up to the building's likely closure at the end of the school year.

More collaboration, equity and emphasis on technology were all stressed at a school consolidation meeting at Center Avenue Elementary School on Monday night.

About 60 parents and residents were reassured that transition plans are in place if the Butler School Board decides to approve a district consolidation plan that would close five elementary schools and reconfigure grades at the end of the school year.

“We've got to plan both ways,” said Barbara Frantz, Center Avenue principal. “We're planning to finish the year as we normally would, but we're also planning the 'what if.' What if the board approves this plan in May? We've got to be ready to roll.”

The meeting was the first among a series of meetings that focus on individual school buildings that are proposed for closure.

Center Avenue, along with Broad Street, Clearfield, Meridian and Oakland elementary schools, would close under proposed consolidation plans.

The remaining elementary schools would become kindergarten through fourth grade buildings, and fifth and sixth graders would attend the middle school, which would be created at the current junior high if consolidation plans are approved.

Center Avenue students would attend McQuistion Elementary.

The districtwide consolidation plan is estimated to save $3.5 million.

Frantz said if the plans are approved, Center Avenue students would visit their new school in May.

“This will give children the chance to tour their new schools, get a real visual in their heads, which is very helpful, and also, to meet their principals,” she said. “It's so helpful for kids to see it instead of just hearing about it.”

Other building administrators at the meeting were Linda Peifer, McQuistion Elementary principal; Jason Huffman, junior high assistant principal, and Josh Hundertmark, Connoquenessing Elementary principal.

Huffman and Hundertmark would become principals at the middle school.

That school would have more than 40 classrooms; 21 for fifth graders and 22 sixth for graders.

“We still have an elementary philosophy there,” Hundertmark said, through a “school within a school” approach.

For instance, classrooms will be separated into pods, with three or four classrooms near one another to switch back and forth from. Special classes, like art and music, might be a longer walk, but teachers will always be with students, he said.

Huffman said STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math classes would be given a more dedicated focus at the new middle school.

“We're looking to devote an entire building, which would be the annex of the junior high school, to incorporating that STEAM approach,” he said.

Several questions parents had related to the middle school building. One was about transportation to the school.

“We are going to have separate buses for fifth and sixth graders to the middle school,” said Dale Lumley, superintendent. “So one of the things that we're working on in transportation, mirroring the schedule for the elementary buildings.

“The fifth and sixth grade will have the same essential time schedule, and we'll be adding buses to provide transportation for almost all of the students into the fifth and sixth grade building.”

Informational meetings for parents and staff will be held at each of the five Butler School District elementary schools expected to close at the end of the school year.The first meeting was Monday at Center Avenue Elementary.The meetings will take place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Mondays. The remaining meetings are:• Broad Street — March 2• Clearfield — March 23• Meridian — March 30• Oakland — April 6They will include information from principals and a panel discussion for parents to ask about plans for the new school year.