The school board that oversees Holden, Eddington and Clifton approved the first step to close the Eddington Elementary School on Tuesday.
Reports conducted by the board’s Advisory Committee of Efficiency said the school is “unnecessary or unprofitable to maintain.”
Tuesday’s vote needed two-thirds of the Regional School Unit 63 Board of Directors to approve the closure before voters in Holden, Eddington and Clifton could weigh in on the issue.
The closing of the school was approved in a 6-2 vote.
Brittany Wood and Whitney Gould-Cookson were the only members of the eight-person board to vote against the consolidation.
Every community will vote separately on the referendum to close the building. The board did not say when voters would decide if the building would close, but did say the state will review the plan before it goes to voters.
The school’s proposed closure date is July 1, 2027.
The school board has discussed closing one of the three schools in the district for years due to shrinking enrollment numbers. Predictions figured 482 students would attend the district this school year, but the latest data shows 428 students are currently split between the three buildings.
During the 2017-18 school year, 532 students were enrolled in the district.
A $512,000 shortfall in next school year’s budget due to a decrease in state funding was also a factor that many members brought up.
“Things have to change, and we need to be fiscally responsible, and that’s really what this board is trying to do — to make a decision that’s best for everyone,” Vice Chair Amy Hart said.
Eddington Elementary was recommended to be closed because it would cut the most money from the district’s budget, according to the committee’s reports. The committee compared the costs cut by closing the Eddington School with the Holden Elementary School, but found that Eddington would save the district more.
The elimination of an assistant principal position, one secretary position and a reduction in food service and maintenance staffing will save more than $200,000, according to the report. Other cuts would be made to maintenance, utilities and waste removal.
Costs for insuring the closed building and maintaining it were not estimated by the committee.
Closing Eddington and Holden Elementary Schools, the only two elementary schools in the district, and consolidating students in the Holbrook Middle School in Holden was also explored by the committee, but enrollment would have to drop to 300 students for that to be feasible, according to the reports.
If the school were to close, students enrolled at Eddington would be split between the Holden and Holbrook schools.
Holden School will hold pre-K through second grade and Holbrook School will house third through eighth grade.
Just two of the roughly 60 attendees spoke at the meeting. Both speakers were against the school being closed.
One of the speakers, Susan McKay, said there is a balance of importance between the three towns that would be thrown off if the Eddington school were to be closed. “Each town is upset,” she said.
Wood, one of the two board members who voted against the proposal, said the issue isn’t concluded yet, because Eddington residents who don’t want the building to close will be able vote in the referendum.
Despite Holden having a population of roughly 3,200, nearly 1,000 more residents than Eddington, Wood said residents still have a chance to oppose closing the elementary school.
“Don’t count [Eddington residents] out,” she said.