West Frankfort Elementary Closing Due To State Aid Cuts

Frankfort, NY (WIBX) - The West Frankfort Elementary School will be closing at the end of this school year, sending the school's more than 200 students to Reese Road Elementary.

The Frankfort Schuyler School Board has voted to close the school as a way to save money in light of a $1.2 million reduction in state aid, said Superintendent Bob Reina.

The school's closure will save about $580,000, so the district will also need to increase taxes, reduce funding to some programs, and cut about ten positions, he said.

"[Those posititions] would either be eliminated, reduced or not filled through attrition. There will be cuts across the board, in terms of material supplies, equipment, field trips and those types of things," Reina said.

Athletics, extra-curriculur activities, arts and music will likey see reductions as well, Reina said.

One of the biggest concerns with the conoslidation is longer bus rides for some students.

"We've had that assessed and the early estimates are that the actual bus runs may be upto nine-minutes longer, each way," Reina said.

The school board will be voting on a budget at it's next meeting on Tuesday night.