The board of education in Glastonbury is considering closing Eastbury Elementary School at the end of the 2017 school year and a meeting will be held tonight at town hall.
Eastbury is Glastonbury’s smallest elementary school and leaders said closing the school could create a dramatic savings in the long term.
“It is the smallest school that we have. It’s now down to about 250 students. It’s now less efficient to run the school than our larger schools,” Supt. Dr. Alan Bookman previously said.
The move to close the school comes in part because it’s projected that the population that could be served by Eastbury has plateaued, theoretically leaving the school underutilized.
Some parents who spoke with NBC Connecticut said they disagree with the population projections.
“Every classroom is full. There are not 15 kids in a classroom. There are 20 and over in every classroom. When they move all these kids, they are going to crowd other schools,” Erika Schwartz, of Glastonbury, said.
“I think this is such a nice size and such a comfortable atmosphere that it would be nice if they could keep this school going,” Erin Kelley, a parent, said.
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“I know it means a lot to the families here. I’d love to see more students be able to come to this school,” said Sarah Blake, one of hundreds who has signed the petition to keep the school open.
The superintendent said if the school closure is approved, students and as much staff as possible would be assigned to the district’s remaining schools.
An online petition to keep Eastbury open has more than 700 signatures.
The meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. There will be no public comment section.
