Comments from the Board of Education President on Monday, October 28, 2013
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In 2011, due to declining enrollment, the Board of Education began a review of facilities usage This review led the Board of Education to study the possible closing of facilities. After an initial review, the Board recognized the District’s need to in fact strongly consider the closure of one or two facilities due to declining enrollment. In order to involve the community, the Board of Education formed a Steering Committee to come to an independent conclusion about which facilities should be responsibly in operation at Half Hollow Hills. The Steering Committee recommended the closing of two elementary facilities. The Board of Education then conducted analysis in multiple public work sessions. After review of the Steering Committee’s report, the Demographer’s Report, as well as considering various communications from community members, the Board formulated the following Guiding Principles: o Provide for the safety and security of our children o Ensure for the educational excellence at both elementary and secondary levels o Maintain current secondary feeder patterns o Correct for outlier communities to improve transportation efficiencies o Balance the enrollment at elementary schools o Minimize student change This has been a very difficult decision for us since all of our schools are top caliber in both facilities and educational excellence. Further we recognize the emotional attachment that many have to these schools and we pledge to formulate a convergence plan that makes this transition for children and their families as seamless and pleasant as possible. Our next task will be to re-align the elementary feeder patterns.
The following resolution was approved unanimously:
Be it hereby resolved that due to the pattern of decreasing student enrollment in District elementary schools, the Board of Education of the Half Hollow Hills Central School District approves the closing of the Chestnut Hill Elementary School and the Forest Park Elementary School effective with the close of the 2013-14 school year.