Board votes to realign schools

NOBLE COUNTY, Ind. (WANE) - Dozens of people waited in line to get a front row seat as the board prepared to make its decision Wednesday night.  When the meeting began, each side made one final plea.

"I said I'd like to see some numbers, what did you come up with? Well, they don't give us numbers," said Cassandra Rhoades, a parent against the plan to realign schools.

Board member Stephen Pyle was in favor of the move. "I just think we are going to have a much superior organization to what we had in the past," Pyle told NewsChannel 15.

After weeks of debate and discussion, the decision was made in a matter of minutes.

Superintendent Steve Sprunger says he understands the negative reactions to the plan. "Any time you close a building and consolidate three buildings into one, it obviously brings some difficulty with it."

Next school year, LaOtto Elementary School will be closed.  Those students will be moved to Avilla. Sixth graders will be in the elementary buildings.  7th and 8th graders will be together in East Noble Middle School.

"I think it will allow us to focus our educational efforts on a given group of students that we haven't been able to do in the past," says Stephen Pyle.

Cassandra Rhoades says more cuts need to be made. "Our administration costs are just too high, the budget we saw is something like $100,000 additional for the library."

If the economic climate is the same this time next year, more cuts will be made.  Stephen Pyle explained would could be in the future. "There's a great deal more to do if, in fact, our funding is reduced or even flatlined."

Tough times or not, many are still sad to see one of their schools close its doors.  Supt. Sprunger sympathizes. "We understand.  I would be disappointed if they weren't passionate about their school.  I'm passionate about their school."