Montoursville Area SD board approves 6–2 resolution to close elementary school and consolidate to Leiter

The Montoursville Area School District board voted 6–2 on Tuesday evening to approve a resolution to close the elementary school the meeting referred to as "Loyola Sauk Valley Elementary School" and consolidate its students to Leiter Elementary School.

The vote came during a work session that opened at 7:03 p.m. and included an extended public-comment period in which residents urged the board to reconsider the consolidation and questioned prior spending decisions. The resolution was approved by roll call after the board combined several consent items and treated the school-closure measure as a separate roll-call vote.

Residents framed the debate in blunt terms. Angela Miller of 90 Reese Run told the board it had "waste[d] billions of dollars" on renovations and said board members who supported such projects should be replaced, calling them "idiots." Paul Renker of 1102 Chestnut Street warned the closure would "reduce your capacity" and argued the move could deter businesses from investing in the county; he said closing the school was effectively "murdering the county" and cited a figure of "$20,000,000" in costs tied to the district's building projects. Christy Boyer, a parent from Stone Lane who said she has children in the district, urged the board to keep class sizes at "19 students or less," add a guidance counselor in the first year of consolidation and maintain nursing coverage for students.

Board members approved the resolution by roll call. The recorded votes in the meeting transcript were: Mister Albert — Yes; Mister Badger — Yes; Mister Eisenhower — Yes; Mister Gardner — Yes; Mister Hausnick — Yes; Miss McCoy — No; Missus Oberheim — No; Mister Young — Yes. The chair stated the tally as "about 6 yes and 2 no," and a board member confirmed that count. The transcript does not name who moved or seconded the motion on item 3.8.

The district also completed other routine business at the meeting. The board combined items 3.1 through 3.7 and approved them by voice vote; it combined personnel items 4.1 and 4.2 and approved them; and it approved an academic request to enroll and waive tuition for exchange student Alba Caldado Munoz of Spain for the 2025–26 school year. After public comment and the votes, the board adjourned the work session.

The meeting record shows strong public concern about the timing and priorities of district spending, worries about lost capacity and community revitalization, and calls for added student supports during the planned consolidation. The transcript does not provide a timeline for when the closure and consolidation will take effect or implementation details such as student assignment plans, transportation changes or budget reallocation.