LIMESTONE TOWNSHIP — The fate of an elementary school was decided Monday night in Lycoming County.
In a 7-2 vote, the Jersey Shore School Board decided that Nippenose Valley Elementary School will close.
Nippenose Valley Elementary School near Jersey Shore has seen its last day of classes. Once again, the school board considered closing the school and moving nearly two hundred K through 5th graders to other schools located in the borough. Kelley Wasson is running for a seat on the school board and wanted Nippenose Valley Elementary to stay.
“A neighborhood school gives a really great start to their education, that’s what I’m emotional about,” said Wasson.
The district faced a similar decision before and in February of last year chose to keep Nippenose Valley and Avis elementary schools open.
This time, however, it is different.
“It seems there are board members now, same board members now, that don’t agree with that decision now,” added Wasson.
One of the main concerns from parents were if the school board decided to close Nippenose Valley Elementary School is that some of the kids would be shipped to the Jersey Shore Elementary School which is undergoing major renovations. Parents fear that construction would distract students from their school work.
“I’m not happy, my husband’s not happy. A lot of people are not happy about it,” said parent Kristin Botsford.
In the past, declining enrollment was a reason to consider consolidating elementary schools.
Still, parents cannot see any good reason to close Nippenose Valley Elementary now.
“Why are you going to make the valley kids travel farther when you have Avis right next to Jersey Shore? And plus it’s a good school, my daughter’s going into third grade, I’m very pleased with the academics,” added Botsford.
Two other elementary schools in the district were also spared last year and will stay open for now.
