Crossroads
Let’s face it. No one likes to see a school close. It’s a heart-wrenching process for everyone involved from students and teachers to school officials and school board members. It’s also tough for the community in general, as many resident have fond memories of attending the school.
But there comes a time when circumstances demand that the closing of a school at least be considered. That’s the situation facing the Albert Gallatin School Board and its D. Ferd Swaney Elementary School. A hearing will be held tonight at 6 p.m. in the Albert Gallatin High School cafeteria concerning its closure. It’s open to the public, and school district residents are urged to come and let board members know how they feel about the school closure.
While there’s certain to be a lot of emotion on display at the hearing, that shouldn’t be allowed to get in the way of the facts, and there are two main points that have to be examined.
First, the district has 3,352 students, a decline of 1,157 students over the past 27 years. With 232 students enrolled at A.L. Wilson Elementary in the 2014-15 school year, and 205 at D. Ferd Swaney, the buildings are operating at a capacity of 55 percent and 59 percent, respectively. A.L Wilson can hold 425 students, and D. Ferd, 350. If the board votes to close D. Ferd after holding the public hearing, most students will move to A.L. Wilson, which opened to students in the 2007-08 school year. It’s located 3.9 miles away from D. Ferd Swaney.
Second, the district is having financial problems, having to raise taxes last spring by 0.52 mills. That translated into a $25 increase for property assessed at $50,000 and $52 for property assessed at $100,000. With any major increases in state funding uncertain and expenses continuing to rise, the district authorized its business manager to look into ways of saving money, and it was estimated that closing D. Ferd would save taxpayers approximately $2 million a year.
So, the closing of D. Ferd has to be at least considered. We urge residents to come and speak their mind. Perhaps there are some things that the school board hasn’t looked at yet. Maybe residents can make a sound case for keeping the school open. But the resident should be respectful and listen with open minds to what school officials have to say. And we urge school officials and board members to be transparent and open. It’s up to them to explain why closing the school is in the best interests of the school district.
We also urge residents from the entire school district, not just parents of students at D. Ferd, to attend the hearing. This issue involves all residents of the district not just the parents of students attending D. Ferd.
In a sense, this issue involves all the residents of Fayette County. Over the years, some local school boards, even ones facing financial difficulties, have been loathe to consider closing a school because of the firestorm such an issue generates.
If residents and officials of the Albert Gallatin School District can come together and calmly reach a consensus on the future of D. Ferd, then it could encourage school officials and residents in other local school districts to begin serious talks about their operations. This could be a lesson everyone learns from.