Sugarcreek Elementary may be closing under a consolidation plan by the school district.

Karns City Area School District officials on Monday outlined a $47 million to $51 million proposal to renovate and expand Chicora Elementary School and Karns City junior/senior high school, and close Sugarcreek Elementary School.

The proposal, which is recommended by the administration, was reviewed for residents during a virtual meeting Monday. Residents asked questions at the end of the meeting, but the administration and school board want input from residents before the board votes on the plan.

Superintendent Eric Ritzert said state law prohibits the board from taking action for 90 days.

Under the proposal, Sugarcreek Elementary School would close at the end of the 2022-23 school year, construction at Chicora Elementary would begin next summer and be completed before the start of the 2023-24 school year, and construction at the junior/senior high school would begin in the summer of 2022 and be completed during the summer of 2024.

Estimated construction costs would be between $29.4 million and $31.2 million at the junior/senior high and $18.5 million and $20.1 million at Chicora Elementary. The estimated total cost, which would include acquiring several adjoining properties around the junior/senior high, is between $47.8 million and $51.3 million.“Sometimes you have to spend money to save money,” Matt Bishop, school board president, said at the conclusion of the meeting.District enrollment has decreased from 2,045 in 1995 to 1,317 this year, Ritzert said.Sugarcreek has 246 students who occupy 75.6 percent of the building capacity and the cost of education per student is $14,240, said Evan McGarvey, assistant business manager,Chicora has 451 students who occupy 81.9 percent of the building capacity and it costs $11,569 to educate each student, McGarvey said.Combined into one school, enrollment would be 696, using 89.9 percent of the capacity, and the per-student education cost would be $11,050, he said.Consolidating the elementary schools would save an estimated $1.02 million — $825,000 in personnel costs, $101,000 in utilities and maintenance costs and $94,000 in busing costs, McGarvey said.Ritzert said no teachers were furloughed when the district closed Bruin Elementary School 10 years ago and he would prefer to reduce staff in the proposed consolidation through attrition and early retirement incentives.“This is not just an effort to reduce costs,” Ritzert said.Instead, the proposal is an effort to help students and do the right thing for taxpayers, he said, adding that technology improvements are needed to help graduates compete globally.Anthony Colestock, senior project manager with the architectural firm Crabtree, Rohrbaugh and Associates, outlined the proposed changes to the schools.Both schools would get expanded areas for the administration, guidance and nurse offices, secure building entrances, and separate academic and public areas. New roofs, windows and mechanical systems are included in the plans.The junior/senior high would have a new vehicle entrance, outdoor plaza, separate bus and parent drop-off areas, and new parking lots for students, staff and visitors.Chicora Elementary would receive a new cafeteria and kitchen and a new lobby for student drop-off.

Under a proposal that would include renovation at Chicora Elementary School and the junior/senior high school in the Karns City Area School District, Sugarcreek Elementary School would close.