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Consultant flags closing an elementary as a likely cost option; trustees told planning will take at least a year
Summary
Encompassing Education told MSD Steuben County trustees that, among difficult budget choices surfaced by the survey, respondents indicated closing a single elementary (notably Pleasant Lake) was the 'least offensive' option; trustees and staff said any reconfiguration would require substantial planning time and careful communication.
During the MSD Steuben County Board of Trustees work session, consultant April Connolly said the survey and interview data showed stakeholders were weighing several difficult budget options and that ‘‘the least offensive was to close 1 of your elementary schools, particularly Pleasant Lake.’’ She urged the district to plan for family and staff supports if any closure or reconfiguration were pursued.
Connolly described that respondents were given a set of budget choices and that none were popular; among the options the report listed were reconfiguring grade assignments (for example moving Pleasant Lake students to Carlin Park and making other buildings K–5), submitting a referendum and reducing subscriptions or administrative costs. She cautioned trustees to consider community impacts if the district moves forward on such options and to couple any proposal with strong communications and support plans for affected families and staff.
A trustee emphasized the practical tasks involved in reconfiguration — new bus routes, reassignment of teachers and building readiness — and said the district would need at least a year "and a couple months" of planning before implementing such a change. Trustees also discussed enrollment pressures and local waiting lists: staff estimated roughly 30 children on waiting lists at certain programs, and trustees noted the district is monitoring enrollment declines while awaiting the effect of legislative funding changes.
No vote or formal action was taken at the meeting. Connolly said the consulting team will return for a staff work day, a building-level planning day and ongoing virtual support; trustees indicated they expected further data and additional stakeholder outreach before deciding whether to pursue any specific budget or facility action.
