(La Porte, IN) - A recommendation on whether to close Lincoln Elementary School will be made to the La Porte School Board on Monday.  The announcement was made last night by La Porte Schools Superintendent Sandra Wood.

 

Currently, the plan is to close the school at 402 Harrison Street at the end of the school year and redistrict the students to Hailmann, Handley and Riley elementary schools.

 

Wood cited an average districtwide enrollment decline over the past 10 years of 63 students annually for the proposal along with a study projecting a continued loss of students until 2031.

 

She said schools across the state are also experiencing declining enrollment from lower birth rates, families relocating along with school choice.  Wood is in her first year as schools superintendent in La Porte.

“When I accepted this position, I knew that hard decisions would be necessary to better align the district resources and lead to a prosperous future for the La Porte Community School Corporation. The previous ‘wait and see’ approach regarding enrollment has only worsened the problem,” she said.

 

Enrollment declines have also resulted in falling revenues since education money from the state is based on student head counts.

 

“If we have to make a hard decision, it has to be made early enough to allow time to prepare. We want stakeholder input to plan. We have nine months to move forward with a comprehensive and respectful plan for our staff and families,” she said.

 

If the school is closed, Wood said the plan is for the building to become an early childhood center through a merger with the district’s preschool program.

 

The school board will meet at 6 p.m. at the Educational Services Center, which is at the former Boston Middle School at 1000 Harrison Street. 

 

Last year, there was a proposal to close Kingsford Heights Elementary School but the school was allowed to remain open in response to new housing construction in recent years and plans for more within the district of that school.