School Board Presents Restructuring Plan to Large Crowd

At a scheduled Board Meeting on Monday evening (March 7), the Louisville Municipal School District Trustees and Superintendent presented plans for the restructuring of school facilities to a crowd of over 200 concerned citizens at the Louisville High School Auditorium. Four trustees were in attendance as Trustee Mark Donald was not present. Superintendent William Wade justified the changes to Eiland and Louisville High as a need to improve the curriculum options of students, a result of declining enrollment and projected cost savings.

The plan calls for the move of 7th & 8th graders from Eiland to the High School on Ivy Avenue. Eiland Middle School would be renamed the "Eiland Education Center"and would house the following:

Louisville Alternative School
Early Childhood Development Center
Family Resource Center
Capps Grant Program
Special Education Support Services
Boys & Girls Club
Community Counseling Service

The Boys & Girls Club and Community Counseling would pay rent to the school district for the use of the facility. Wade also indicated though no jobs would be lost however there would be no new positions created. The restructuring is projected to save approximately $396,000 the first year and roughly $250,000 the second year.

The time table for the changes would begin in the summer of 2011 with students in their new locations by the Fall semester. The Boys & Girls Club and the Capps Program would move to Eiland during the Fall of 2011.

Though cordial, members of the public expressed concern about several issues including security for the younger students moved to the high school and their interaction with the older students and showed some skepticism when Wade indicated that the 7th & 8th graders would have little contact with older students except during the morning and afternoon as they make their way to and from school. Others questioned why it was necessary to move students from Eiland and that other cost savings and consolidation be considered such as a merging of Nanih Waiya and Noxapater schools. The Board indicated that they would take all concerns and options into consideration.