Idea to close elementary upsets pupils, parents

Board members will vote on the recommendation at a meeting Monday.
& lt;a href=mailto:denise_dick@vindy.com & gt;By DENISE DICK & lt;/a & gt;
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Eight-year-old Brian Yauger scrawled his reaction to the recommended closing of McKinley Elementary School in pencil on a piece of paper.
"Please don't close McKinley School," read the paper displayed by his mother, Pati, after a school board meeting Tuesday when the recommendation was announced.
"He's very upset," Yauger said of her second-grader.
Parents received notification from the district of the recommendation to close the school as a way to cut costs Tuesday. McKinley pupils will attend Lincoln, Garfield, Laird, Emerson or McGuffey school for the 2004-05 school year.
Looking ahead
Superintendent Betty J. English cited a projected $4 million deficit by fiscal year 2007 that would increase to $17 million by fiscal year 2008 if nothing is done.
"We can't wait until 2007 to address that deficit," English said.
Built in 1919, McKinley is the district's second oldest building and isn't handicapped accessible.
Closing the school will save about $2.2 million.
Board members set 11 a.m. Monday for a special meeting to vote on the school closure.
District officials have pointed to rising health care, insurance and utilities as well as a loss of money to community and charter schools and a reduction in business and residential taxes as culprits in the rising deficit.
But Yauger and another parent, Jennifer Greathouse, whose two children attend McKinley, think other cuts should be made before closing a school.
"I think the less movement, the better for the children," Greathouse said.
Yauger agreed.
Why they bought in area
"Nothing against the west side, but if I had wanted my children to go to a west-side school, I would have bought a house on the west side," she said. "I live on the northeast side because I want my children to go to northeast schools."
Sandi Hellock's 8-year-old son attended Roosevelt during the last school year but had to go to McGuffey when Roosevelt closed. That wasn't a pleasant experience for him and the family bought a house on the northeast end of town so he could attend McKinley.
Now that school is closing and he'll likely return to McGuffey, Hellock said.
"He's very upset," she said.
Although English and board members say pupils may choose to attend a different school through open enrollment, Hellock said when she tried that, she was told all of the schools were full.
English said that all of the district's pupils will be moved over the next few years as new schools are built as part of the $170 million Ohio School Facilities Commission project.