The latest financial estimates tied to the Butler School District’s proposed closing of the Center Avenue Elementary School dictate a rethinking over what at least some school board members initially believed was a clear-cut decision.

If significant-enough savings aren’t going to be realized in closing the building and transferring students to the McQuistion Elementary School, it would be foolish for the district to close the school and cause disruption and potential stress for the young children — and the families — who would be affected.

For now, the board should move cautiously, gather more information and public comment, and study the financial implications of the proposed action.

The board is under no requirement to make a final decision regarding the school next month, in January or even next September.

The board shouldn’t shelve the idea, but neither should it act hastily.

When the decision about the school’s future is made, the board should be confident that it’s the right decision.

When the closing was first discussed, it was estimated that the district would save more than $500,000 annually. However, that estimate failed to factor in the impact on state construction reimbursements tied to the school.

Michael Strutt, district superintendent, said the district would lose $276,485 in construction reimbursement money if the district closed the school and sold the building before bond issues used to upgrade it are paid off. That is scheduled for the 2017-18 fiscal year.

With new projected savings of only $263,000, it hardly would be worth taking such a drastic step — especially since the school has been modernized.

It’s true that it’s not known how much money the district could realize if it closed the school and then sold the building. The district might be limited in its options for marketing the property, and the current economy also would work against having many prospects wanting to buy the building and its adjacent land.

At a meeting last week, board member Paula Opalka, a former Center Avenue principal, spoke against the board’s self-imposed January deadline for deciding on the fate of the school.

“We should gather more facts, have the community involved, study it for a year before we make a decision,” she said. “I think we need a long-range master plan.”

That would be more palatable than pursuing board member Bill Halle’s belief that “I think this is an opportunity for us to be proactive.”

The board can be proactive without being hasty.

Under one scenario, the district’s savings through transferring Center Avenue students to McQuistion would be less than $57,000 annually. While many people would consider that a significant savings, from the perspective of a school district of Butler’s size and budget, it is not significant.

The board always should be looking for ways to streamline district operations and save money. But judging from the latest savings figures, closing the Center Avenue school deserves further study and debate.