Westminster : Two Elementary Schools to Be Closed by Board

About 400 residents attended a special Westminster School District meeting Tuesday night as the Board of Trustees voted to close two elementary schools because of a sharp decline in enrollment.

The John F. Land Jr. and Neomia Willmore elementary schools are to be shut at the end of the school year. The closing of the two schools is expected to save the district $266,000 annually.

The trustees voted 4 to 1 for the closings. Trustee Margie Rice cast the dissenting vote.

The trustees chose Land school because its closing would affect fewer students than other schools under consideration. Willmore was chosen primarily because of its heavy proportion of minorities, estimated at about 80%. All of the trustees noted a need to “mainstream” the minority pupils who have been concentrated at Willmore school.

District enrollment has plummeted, from a peak of almost 14,000 in 1968 to 7,450 this year. The decline prompted the closing of five schools in the 1970s.

To grapple with the problem and make recommendations to the board, the district established a citizens group called the 7-11 Committee last summer. In November, the committee recommended closing the Virginia K. Boos, Ada E. Clegg and Land elementary schools, a move that would have saved $450,000 annually.

The Dr. Russell I. Johnson Intermediate School, the James W. Franklin and Willmore elementary schools were added to those being considered for closing earlier this year.

Because state law prohibits closed meetings of elected bodies, board members did not know how their colleagues would vote Tuesday afternoon, Trustee Skip Morgan said. But a consensus that at least two schools should be closed prevailed.

Morgan said the Westminster board had taken the time to hold public hearings in each of the schools under consideration, and had listened to everyone who wanted to speak. In addition, Morgan said, he received more than 1,200 pieces of mail on the issue.

“We can’t be accused of not trying to get the facts,” he said.

The motion to close the Land and Willmore schools was made by the board vice president, Randy Fruechting, and seconded by Harold V. Lorton.