The Findlay School Board voted Monday night to close an elementary school at the end of the School year.
District leaders cite declining student enrollment, but parents are upset calling the consolidation a mistake.
More than two hundred third, fourth, and fifth graders go to school at Washington Intermediate Elementary School.
Their school's fate is sealed.
"All the kids that go here like my granddaughter love this school," says Rob Smith, the grandfather of a third grader.
Grandparents, moms and dads waiting outside Washington Intermediate Elementary to pick up their kids are upset with the school board's decision Monday night to close the school.
"I think it's terrible," says Vicky Ramsey, the mother of a fourth grader. "It's kind of depressing because you just feel so comfortable with your kids going here."
Dean Wittwer, Superintendent of Findlay City Schools, says enrollment at elementary schools in the district has dropped by almost four hundred students in the last decade.
"What we're doing is reconfiguring on the north side of town where there's declining enrollment," says Wittwer.
Closing the school will affect this year's third and fourth graders at Washington.
"No teachers are losing their jobs," says Wittwer. "The teachers will go to the buildings with the students."
Ramsey says she's talking to her fourth grade son about changes on the way.
"He knows what's happening and I don't think he's totally happy either because he had at least one more year to go here," says Ramsey.
There is one more change. Second graders at Jacobs and Northview will stay at their respective schools for third grade. Instead of being K-through-2nd grade, Jacobs and Northview will both become K-through-3rd grade.
The District doesn't completely plan to close theWashington Intermediate school building. Instead leaders plan to move in five pre-school classes as well as district administration.
Closing Washington Intermediate Elementary School saves the district about $200,000 a year. The bulk of that savings comes from moving the district's administrative offices from a rented space in an office building on West Main Street to the Washington school building which is on the high school campus.
"They were talking about putting a daycare center in here which is baloney," says Smith. "I think it's terrible that they keep moving kids around."
While no full time employees will lose their jobs because of the consolidation, substitute secretaries and substitute custodial staff here at Washington who were brought in through attrition will lose their jobs.
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