USD 321 is close to shutting the doors of Emmett Grade School in an effort to save money. The board voted 4-2 in early November to begin the process of closing the school at the end of the 2009-2010 school year.It’s a decision parents say they plan to fight – for the future of their children and town.
“From the research I've done, you will eventually lose your post office, and eventually your property values will go down,” said Melinda Hewitt, a parent in Emmett. “And there's no really telling how many years it will take to do that. But it will eventually happen and it will eventually hurt our community and our town.”
Tuesday night, December 1st, Hewitt and other parents will meet at the Emmett Catholic Church on the upper level at 7pm. They plan to share statistics about the amount of tax dollars spent in Emmett compared to the amount of money the school receives, as well as how class sizes would change if the school is forced to merge with Saint Marys Elementary.
Hewitt and others say they are also concerned that the USD 321 board violated the Kansas Open Meetings Act when they made the decision to close the school. That item was not specifically listed on the agenda. The motion to close the school was made during a line item entitled “Budget 2009-2010 – Budget 2010-2011.”
The USD 321 Board will have a hearing Sunday night, December 6th, on the issue.
Reporting: Amy Wolf
Photojournalist: Keith Miles
