News Summary

SPRINGFIELD — Though officials are striving to minimize the impact, a proposed plan to close Clark Middle School would affect more than just Clark students.

If the plan before the board's facilities committee is approved for the 2009-10 school year, students attending pre-school in city school buildings, some elementary students, all sixth-graders and some middle school students could feel the impact.

The district is looking to make $1.4 million to $1.9 million in budget cuts for the next school year, precipitating the discussion about whether to close a school, said board Vice President Ed Leventhal, chair of the facilities committee.

"If we're going to cut $1.4 million, it's going to be painful for people," he said.

Closing the former South High School building and moving the district's administrative offices to the Clark Middle School building will likely save about $100,000 a year, said Don Thompson, interim superintendent.

The first year would not yield such high savings, however, because of costs associated with preparing the building for new uses, Leventhal said.

The facilities committee has met 11 times since April to discuss different proposals before settling on a plan to close Clark as a school and move all district sixth-graders back into the elementary schools for the 2009-10 school year.

The committee will seek public input on the proposal at a community forum Wednesday, Jan. 14, before finalizing a recommendation to the board, Leventhal said.

The plan also includes moving attendance lines to alleviate overcrowding at Lagonda Elementary, affecting about 80 students.

"That would have been done notwithstanding this," said Tom Payton of the district's student services department.

The facilities commission will make a final recommendation to the board, likely at a Jan. 22 meeting, Leventhal said. The recommendation would have to be approved by the school board.

The public forum on Wednesday begins at 6 p.m. at Clark Middle School, 1500 W. Jefferson Street.

Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0373 or mgildow@coxohio.com.