PORT ANGELES — A compromise proposal to keep Monroe Elementary School open next year was proposed by two members of the Port Angeles School District board to parents and teachers.
But the School Board is still meeting Monday to make the final decision whether to shutter the school on June 30 to save around $300,000 in the cash-starved district budget.
The latest proposal includes a pledge to keep the school open if Monroe parents and school staff agree to several conditions — including a pledge to support future tax levy elections — Board President Charlie McClain said Monday.
But the proposal also calls for the district to dip into its reserve funds to help balance the budget.
“It is possible that a compromise could be reached,” McClain said.
McClain conceded, however, that closing the school is still more likely.
The School Board voted 4-1 on March 8 to trigger a 90-day legal process to close Monroe to avoid a projected $300,000 deficit forecast for the 2004-05 school year.
The board reaffirmed its decision to continue the process in May.
Cindy Kelly was the only board member to vote against closing the school.
During two public hearings and at various school board meetings parents begged board members to seek alternatives to keep the school at 102 Monroe Road open.
Board members McClain and Nancy McLaughlin met with Monroe teachers Monday afternoon and members of the Monroe Parent-Teacher Organization last week to discuss compromise plan.
The proposal, authored by McClain, calls for keeping the school open if the following conditions are met by the Monroe community:
* The Monroe community agrees to support upcoming maintenance and operations levy elections.
* The Monroe teacher-student ratio approximates the average of other district schools.
Monroe currently has an average of 18 students per teacher, while other schools have up to a 22 student-teacher ratio.
* The Monroe community understands that the following three factors are achieved to keep the school open:
The levy as proposed by the school board passes before the end of the 2004-05 school year; the overall full-time equivalent enrollment of the district increases during the 2004-05 school year; and the state Legislature does not cut any funding directed to the school district for the 2005-07 biennium.
Kelly said she was unaware that a compromise proposal was being offered to Monroe parents and teachers until late Monday afternoon.
