GREELEY — Greeley Elementary School in northeast Anderson County, may close.
School District 365 board members will hold a public hearing on Jan. 8 to discuss the issue, reported The Anderson County Review.
Current enrollment at the Pre-K through 6th grade school is 46 students.
According to the Review, school board president Adam Caylor said the proposal to close the school came about as part of an annual review of facilities and finances which show the 60-year-old plus building in need of further maintenance and repairs.
A 2010 bond issue helped pay for replacement of its 1949-era gym floor, the Review stated, as well as provide new windows, a new heating and cooling system, and a new roof among other renovations.
The facilities study said the savings of avoiding further investments in the old school could be applied for the education of current students districtwide.
Caylor said it is twice as expensive to educate a student at Greeley Elementary as compared to a student in Garnett when costs are broken down on a per- pupil basis, the Review reported. Caylor said it wasn’t prudent for the district to use new tax money to shore up old buildings.
According to state law, the Jan. 8 hearing is the first step to closing the school. The hearing will provide community members an opportunity to voice their opinions. Board members will also state their case. The board may then choose to vote on the issue.
If the board does vote to close the school, the decision can be challenged by residents.
