Merrimac Elementary PTA meets as district weighs possible school closure to close budget gap
Last week, officials said closing Merrimac Elementary School would net the district $2 million in savings.
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Parents and teachers in one of Long Island's largest school districts met Tuesday to voice their concerns as Sachem school officials weigh the possibility of shutting down an elementary school to close a multimillion-dollar budget deficit.
"We were devastated," Merrimac Elementary School parent Lexi Daniels said. "We were totally sideswiped by this. I mean, we've had no mention that the school would be an option to close."
Last week, district officials said they were considering several options to close that $6.5 million budget deficit which they attributed to inflation and a lack of state aid. However, data shows Sachem is projected to receive $1 million more in state funding next school year.
Closing Merrimac Elementary School would save the district $2 million and could generate roughly $600,000 in revenue if the building is rented out.
According to New York Education Department law, the district had to notify the state by March 1 if it anticipated closing a school building, which it did.
In a letter to the community, Sachem Superintendent of Schools Patricia Trombetta stressed the decision was not final and would not be until a budget is adopted next month.
"We know that Merrimac is more than just a building; it is a place where memories are made, where friendships are formed and where futures are shaped," part of the letter read.
"The district does not take this type of decision lightly and this topic is just one option of many that we are exploring as we continue to address the budget shortfall."
The board of education is also considering other options including increasing elementary class size by two students to save $800,000, eliminating middle school clubs and late busses to save $740,000, eliminating combined middle school sports like gymnastics, swimming and tennis to save $42,100 and combining junior varsity and varsity sports teams to save roughly $1 million.
The district is also considering closing a middle school to save $3.2 million and generate $1.5 million in rental income.
Some students also expressed their thoughts on their way into school Tuesday.
"It's important to me because it's my home school," Merrimac Elementary School 5th Grader Vanessa Galaris said. "I've been here since I was four and my brother is only in second grade and I want him to graduate."
"We're going to fight," Daniels said.
"Everybody in the community is disrupted by this," Jones added. "This is an emergency."
The board anticipates adopting a budget by April 9 ahead of the May 20 vote.
District officials confirmed the board of education will hold a meeting on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. to "discuss other options."
