COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) - An education board has delighted residents of the small city of Crescent by voting to keep the community’s elementary school open despite a recommendation by the superintendent that it be closed as a cost-saving move due to declining enrollment.
The Council Bluffs Board of Education voted 5-2 on Tuesday night to keep Crescent Elementary School open, The Daily Nonpareil (https://bit.ly/2lqp425 ) reported.
Superintendent Martha Bruckner had recommended closing the school, saying the district would have saved $185,000 annually.
The school of 85 students has experienced decreasing enrollment numbers over the years. It has also combined classrooms, which presents challenges for students and employees.
The district’s proposal to close the elementary school in Pottawattamie County would’ve sent students to Lewis & Clark Elementary School in Council Bluffs.
“I’m very, very happy and excited because the school’s been nothing but a positive thing for my family and for the kids in our family,” said Michelle Shea, a Crescent resident.
Council Bluffs resident Carrie Solon sends three of her children to Crescent.
“We are looking for a new home and to expand my business,” Solon told the board during the meeting. “Crescent would be a good place to do that but we’re waiting on this decision.”
Solon said she was relieved the board voted against the proposal.
“I’m so happy,” she said after the meeting. “I can go home and tell my kids they can still go to Crescent.”
Board president Troy Arthur said the next steps include working with the community and figuring out ways to provide additional support to Crescent teachers and staff.
“We’ll need to set up some sort of committee with the community and try to determine their growth and needs,” Arthur said. “We do a heck of a job with the city of Council Bluffs, and we need to do that for Crescent, too.”
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Information from: The Daily Nonpareil, https://www.nonpareilonline.com
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