Save Williams Elementary School

Story by Patti Richter/Daily Courier

Wolf Creek, Williams, and Applegate schools are safe from closure for now.In front of an audience of more than 75 parents, children and other community members, the Three Rivers School District’s Rightsizing Committee unanimously agreed Tuesday night to delay school closures until the 2009-10 school year.Delaying any closures for a year will give the three specific communities time to find cost savings and repair buildings in need of major maintenance. The committee also told community groups to investigate alternative ways to offer classes at the buildings, such as creating charter schools.

“Thank you. Thank you,” rang out through the room along with a loud round of applause. Many people in the crowd wore “Save Williams School” T-shirts.The committee was convened in November, with orders from the school board to find $1.19 million in savings from next year’s budget and another $1 million from the 2009-10 school year. Three Rivers School District has a $42.6 million budget for 2007-08.

Early on, district officials identified about $700,000 in savings from staff adjustments, restructuring high school schedules and reorganizing the district office. That left the committee with about $510,000 in reductions to make for the coming year.The cuts are necessary because school funding is based on enrollment, which has been in decline in the Three Rivers district for a decade. The final decision on any cuts will be made by the board, which plans to hold at least one community meeting in the spring to discuss the proposals.

The committee’s top recommendations Tuesday night were to revisit the transfer policy for students and consider revoking pre-existing agreements, which would increase enrollment and, therefore, state funding; implement full-day staff development training, which would reduce costs on those days; implement the state construction excise tax; revise bus routes to reduce the number of routes; send a local option levy to voters; and merge small schools during the 2009-10 school year.

Closing the three small schools drew the most comments. Applegate, which is a K-8 school, had an enrollment of 115 students on Sept. 30. In the same enrollment report, Williams had 88 students and Wolf Creek had 67 students.Some committee members voiced concerns about small schools costing more to educate children, while others advocated for the community education aspect a small school brings to the district. Others were worried about the majority of the district having fewer school days in order to save money so a meager percentage could remain in small schools.

“I can support closing a school,” said Peter Maluk, principal at Fruitdale Elementary School. “We are not offering you less by moving you to another school. Yes, there is some inconvenience. But to assume that Williams, Wolf Creek or Fruitdale is better than our other schools is not the way to make a decision.”

Special Education Director, Dan Huber-Kantola said the committee has identified between $982,000 and $1,060,000. Human Resources Director Debbie Breckner also told the committee she was meeting with all the school principals to look for further personnel reductions in the next week or two, so the district can reach its goal of $1.19 million in savings.

“This is exciting,” said Marcy Small, a Wolf Creek mother who has advocated for the small elementary school to remain open. “I’m glad they gave us a year…We made it through this. Now I’m just worried about the school board’s decision.”Small fears some school board members will advocate the closure of a small school this year. “It really doesn’t matter what recommendations the Rightsizing Committee comes up with if the board decides to do what it wants,” she added.

Small and other Wolf Creek parents plan to pursue the idea of creating a K-8 charter school at Wolf Creek by the 2009-10 school year. They have been contacting businesses for donations of paint and labor to spruce the building up as well as grants for items like playground equipment.”We are not letting up on our efforts,” she said. “Whether Wolf Creek Elementary stays open or not, we’re going to push for a charter school.”