HIBBING — The Hibbing School Board moved forward with the closure of Greenhaven Elementary School as one step in closing its projected $2 million budget deficit.
The Board voted unanimously to declare its intent to close the building at a meeting on Wednesday afternoon, March 4. As required by state law when a district decides to close a school, the board also set a public hearing date of 6 p.m. March 26 in the Hibbing High School auditorium.
Before the vote, Acting Superintendent Carrie McDonald explained the financial realities the district is facing amid declining enrollment and many increasing costs.
"I understand the heartbreak for the neighborhood, I understand the heartbreak for the staff, I understand the frustration with the money that was put into it," McDonald said. "I understand that. I feel that. But we have to make tough decisions to move us forward."
She said the data and dollars support moving from four facilities to three. McDonald said the Greenhaven closure will result in at least $516,000 in savings, not including the building sale. The building was updated just last year, using grant funding from the state Department of Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation.
With the change, pre-kindergarten through first grade students will go to Washington Elementary, while Lincoln Elementary will transition to second through fifth grades. Sixth graders will move up to Hibbing High School.
"Parents of current fifth graders, the thought of your sixth grader coming to this building, I would imagine, is very scary. And I understand that," McDonald said.
The sixth grade will be self-contained on the third floor, limiting students' interactions with juniors and seniors, she explained.
More cuts will be needed in the wake of a failed referendum and what was described as an unplanned budget overrun. The district is also amid contract negotiations with AFSCME Local 480 representing 115 employees, further complicating the financial challenges.
Board member Kim McLaughlin said she supports all bargaining units and values their work, but the decisions they have to make aren’t easy.
"Like every other Bluejacket team, if we don’t play as a team, we’re not going to be successful," McLaughlin said. "The big difference is, the stakes are much larger. Long after any of us leave this board, I want this district to be here for our students."
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