Lindenhurst residents spar over school closing

Lindenhurst residents on either side of a proposed closing of the district's Edward W. Bower Elementary School Wednesday night sparred verbally at a public forum that at times touched on the broader issue of whether a typical Long Island community can continue to afford its public schools.

Lindenhurst officials, who hosted the forum attended by about 300 parents and other residents, say a school closing next September could save more than $1 million annually, mostly through staff cuts. The 243-student Bower school is the district's smallest, and its location on Montauk Highway could make the building easy to lease or sell.

However, many parents say shuttering the 58-year-old school would leave a void - especially since its state test scores are among the district's highest. Some also questioned whether shifting students would produce overcrowding.

"I think perhaps other schools could profit from observing what's happened at Bower," said one opponent of closing, Jean Gustavson, who was accompanied by her fifth-grade daughter.

But some questioned whether their district, amid a stagnant economy, could afford the district's cost of about $20,000 per student. "Everybody has to make sacrifices" said Denis Garbo, a financial planner.

Lindenhurst's school board can close Bower, but any sale would require voter approval. The board decides in December.

Other cost-cutting options exist, but administrators say closing Bower makes the most sense. Under this scenario, 226 students there would be split between Harding Avenue Elementary School and West Gates Avenue Elementary School.

Another 17 students enrolled in Bower's special-education classes would attend either Albany Avenue or William Rall.

A BOCES consultants' study, completed in July, found that shifting students would result in no classes exceeding Lindenhurst's maximum size of 26 students in grades K-1 and 28 students in grades 2-5. Most classes would be smaller than that.

Consultants warn, however, that the Harding and West Gates schools might be left short of space for "support" classes, such as art and speech therapy.

Superintendent Richard Nathan, said Wednesday his own review found both schools would have enough room for most support classes, except in computer use. But computers could always come into home classrooms, he said.

Lindenhurst has cut back services over the past two years as state aid flattened, then fell. In 2009, the district eliminated bus rides for 2,000 students. In June, it laid off 37 teachers after the local teachers union rejected a proposed two-year salary freeze.

That union's contract expires in June, giving Lindenhurst some leeway next year. Administrators warn, however, that they still stand to lose $1.9 million in federal funds.

Lindenhurst's enrollment fell from 7,402 in 1999 to 6,839 this year, and is expected to drop to about 6,000 by 2019.