BUTLER TWP — Danielle Penrod, an Oakland Township resident and a mother of three, loves her community school.

Not only did her oldest child go to Oakland Elementary, she has two children who still attend the school and she did also. She recently consoled her teary-eyed 8-year-old Maura Kate, a second grader, who asked her why her school was closing.

“I spent the next 25 minutes on the couch with my daughter, holding her, talking with her, asking her about what her concerns are because apparently the kids at school are talking about it,” Penrod said. Her daughter would attend Center Township Elementary next year if her school closes.

“Her concerns are: 'Am I going to see my friends? Where are the bathrooms at CT? Where am I going to eat lunch?'”

Penrod said there is more than dollars and cents for the board to consider.

“We've talked about the economics. We've talked about the numbers. I think we're losing the emotional aspect.”

Penrod was among several parents and residents who spoke Wednesday night at a public hearing at the Butler High School auditorium about the proposed consolidation plan closing five elementary schools and reconfiguring grades by the end of the school year.

Those who attended the three-hour meeting also had the opportunity to submit questions via notecard for the school board and administration to answer. Several wrote questions about school bus commute times, whether the junior high school building is suitable for fifth and sixth graders, and general questions about how the consolidation process has been handled by the district.

One asked if a moratorium on the consolidation process would be considered if newly elected Gov. Tom Wolf would have more state educational funding to give to school districts. Another asked if a fence could be built around the junior high school to protect students from drug dealers and sex offenders downtown.

A stenographer transcribed the meeting to submit to the state Department of Education. A public hearing is required when any schools are considered for closure.

Now the school board must wait 90 days before making a final vote to approve the proposed consolidation plan.

Roughly 200 people attending the public hearing, which followed several special meetings the district held last year about consolidation proposals.

“Please do not think the attendance of these meetings reflects the amount of concerns in our community,” said Kim Birckbichler, who described herself as a taxpayer, a retired teacher and mother.

“I have attended almost all of these consolidation meetings, and while I completely understand the concern to save money for our district, I also have some grave concerns of how this is being handled.”

Other speakers echoed those sentiments, especially expressing concern the speed of the process.

The school board last month voted 6-3 for a plan that would close Broad Street, Center Avenue, Clearfield, Meridian and Oakland elementary schools.

If finally approved in May by the school board, the remaining elementary schools also would change from a kindergarten through sixth grade format to a kindergarten through fourth grade configuration, leaving fifth and sixth graders to attend the current junior high building. In addition, seventh through ninth graders would attend the intermediate high school and 10th through 12th graders would attend the high school.

An estimated $3.5 million would be saved under this plan.

Superintendent Dale Lumley presented information about the district, delving into enrollment decline and rising costs, which are the primary reasons he said district consolidation has been considered in the first place.

For instance, the district reached its enrollment peak in the 1970s, at about 12,700 students. This school year, there are about 7,100 students.

And since 2004, a variety of staffing cuts and property tax hikes have been made to balance the budget. More than 70 teaching positions and six administrative positions have been eliminated, and the tax rate is 25.67 mills higher than it was 11 years ago. The current rate is 94.8 mills.

At the same time, Lumley said the district has fallen behind in other aspects, particularly with technology.

“We have not kept up with the times,” he said. “Whether we consolidate or not, we need to bring those classrooms up to speed.”

He's proposed spending $1.1 million next school year for improved technology at the junior high, the intermediate high school and Center Avenue, and $1.8 million for the following year at the six elementary schools and the high school.

Because 18 teachers are retiring at the end of the school year, Lumley anticipates furloughing about six elementary school teachers and two building administrators. Attrition and the furloughs would save the district about $2.5 million.

Dates and times for building meetings at each of the five elementary schools slated to be closed will be discussed at the school board meeting on Monday night.

Comments about the proposed closing of five elementary schools in the Butler School District can be submitted to the state Department of Education via letter, phone call or e-mail.<B>Mail: </B>Suzanne Tallman, Pennsylvania Department of Education, School Services Unit, 333 Market St., 5th Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333<B>Telephone: </B>Tallman at 717-214-8212<B>E-mail: </B>RA-school-configs@pa.gov.For information about the state Department of Education, go to www.education.pa.us.