Arthur Eddy Academy is one of three schools that will close for the 2013-2014 year.
/ Mike Horne
SAGINAW -- None of the posters and signs or last-minute pleas stopped Saginaw school board members from voting Wednesday night to close three buildings.
Students from Arthur Eddy Academy, Jerome Elementary and Longfellow Elementary will be at new schools next fall.
Superintendent Carlton Jenkins told the board and a standing room only crowd that these were the best cost-cutting measures to take.
“How can we move forward and have all of our schools become high performing schools? No child deserves anything less from Longfellow to SASA," Jenkins said in his presentation.
Jenkins said the district has too many buildings for the roughly 7,600 Saginaw Public Schools students.
The three closures will save the district $3.8 million. But it's little consolation for neighbors.
David Wittmuss who lives in the Jerome Elementary neighborhood said, “I actually went to this school when I was a kid. I just don't see no reason for it. It would just be an empty building."
Arthur Eddy's K-5 students will attend Heavenrich next year. Students in grades 6-8 will go to Ruben Daniels Middle School. Jerome Elementary students will go to Merrill Park. Longfellow students will go to Houghton Elementary.
Plans for the three closed buildings remain under discussion.
The district faces a $32.6 million budget deficit. The school board must submit a deficit elimination plan to the state next month.
