Gunther school in North Bellmore to close

The North Bellmore School District will close Jacob Gunther Elementary next June to save $1 million despite emotional pleas from parents who earlier in the day marched in support of the school.

At a school board meeting attended by about 200 people Tuesday night, several board members said they understood residents' concerns, but shuttering a school was the best option. The district has already made cuts in music and physical education, among other areas.

"We have taken everything into consideration," said school board president Grace Cramsie.

"This is not a happy day for any of us."

David Leibowitz, 49 and a parent of two children at Gunther, told board members that they were set on closing a school from the beginning and did not do enough to investigate other options. He said the decision was shortsighted.

"This is very upsetting," he said, telling board members they did not understand the impact of closing a campus. "Someone sold you hook, line and sinker, that the only way for you to solve your budgetary problems was to close a school."

Several parents have said they don't want the school closed because they see it as a vital part of their community. It also means children will be forced to attend an unfamiliar school, parents said.

A committee of school officials and parents has been studying the issue for months, evaluating several options. Shrinking budgets and student populations have led to the closure of elementary schools in the Mineola and Lindenhurst districts.

Many residents had expected the 239-student Gunther school to be targeted, in part because it has the smallest enrollment of the district's six buildings.

North Bellmore school officials and a consultant have calculated that the district could save $1.033 million by closing a school.

Superintendent Arnold Goldstein has said the district aims to "preserve programs, class sizes and the services we currently have."

He said it's costly to keep open buildings that are at just 50 percent capacity.

On Oct. 27, a committee of residents and employees voted 19-1 to shut a school, joining a growing list of Long Island districts that have taken the step because of declining enrollment and financial pressures.

Gunther also has the second-smallest capacity in the district, and enrollment is expected to decline to 199 in 2015, Goldstein said.

Charlene Niedfeld, 44, has second-grade triplets in the district.

She said she would like to see North Bellmore consolidate with its neighbors so that savings would come from having fewer administrators, not fewer schools.

"I think all of the schools should stay open," she said, calling the district top heavy. "You don't need all of those superintendents."