BEDFORD, Ind. (WDRB) -- A school corporation in southern Indiana plans to close four elementary schools, and a group of parents is considering legal action to fight it.
North Lawrence Community Schools, around Bedford, plans to close Fayetteville, Heltonville and Springville elementary schools and convert Stalker Elementary into an Early Learning Center at the end of the school year. The corporation plans to also convert Shawswick Middle School into a K-6 school.
WDRB News previously reported that the school hoped launching a newscast would save Stalker Elementary, but those dreams were killed this week when the school board voted 4-3 to move forward with consolidation.
WDRB News contacted the school corporation to seek information about the factors that warranted the consolidation. In response, the district sent an email with text copied from the board's meeting agenda.
That agenda contains no information about the reasons for the move, though the agenda reads that the board's plan would provide more opportunities to students and teachers, including support services, extracurricular activities and professional development.
The consolidation is not expected to reduce staffing. Teacher sources said they expect to be reassigned to the district's other schools.
Some parents, including Trisha Turner, said the board rushed its decision and did not provide enough information to justify the consolidation.
Trisha Turner
"It's a bigger change than just shoving kids into a different building, and I don't appreciate the speed with which they want to take," said Turner, whose son attends Fayetteville Elementary.
Turner said parents are weighing legal action to halt the plans from moving forward.
"We've been in talks, as a group, with attorneys, and we're gathering some data," Turner said.
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