Proposal to close Bethlehem-Center School District middle school under consideration
FREDERICKTOWN, Pa. (KDKA) — A proposal to close the only middle school in the Bethlehem-Center School District is being debated right now.
Superintendent Donald MacFann says the proposal is a no-brainer, adding the money saved could be used to improve technology and curriculum to ensure a brighter future for the students.
"It's what's best for this district. Quite frankly, it's what's best for the taxpayers and most importantly it's what's best for the students," MacFann says.
In the last five years, MacFann says enrollment in the district has dropped from around 1,300 students to now just under 1,000. The school board proposed closing the middle school, which can hold 500 students but currently only has 220.
The money saved by closing that school, MacFann says, is roughly $500,000 on maintenance and utilities.
"The benefit is going to be the educational and technology implementations that we can provide within the district with some of those savings," MacFann said.
The proposal would move the sixth graders to the elementary school and the seventh and eighth graders to the high school, creating a new junior/senior high school that would not impact staffing, according to the district.
While MacFann says feedback from the school community has been positive, KDKA-TV caught up with parents on both sides.
"It's going to be a weird transition for younger kids that are going to get placed with older kids now. I thought that was a safe middle ground. I have younger kids coming up into the elementary school, so it's a little concern they aren't going to have a middle school anymore," mother Alyssa Nipps said.
"The teachers here, just the staff and the principal, they do a great job. I think it'll be a smooth transition, Kristinia Kinder said.
It's ultimately up to the school board, MacFann says. But he said he knows the decision will be made with each student's best interest in mind.
"It's a very small school with, I'm going to be frank, very limited resources," MacFann said. "Any monetary funding, any expense that can be held back to create new revenues that can be given to these kids to assist them academically, assist them with new curriculum and new technology, it's going to be paramount to their success in years to come."
If the board passes the proposal, it would take effect next school year.
