The sign for Cherokee Elementary School in Americus. The school will be closing if the facilities plan being considered by the school board is approved.
Cherokee Elementary School in Americus. The school - built in 1964 - is at under 50 per cent capacity.
The Sumter County School logo. The school system has lost 1100 students in a little more than a decade.
The flag at Cherokee Elementary School in Americus. The winds of change are blowing as the system wrestles with how to handle to smaller number of students.
This sign says that Cherokee Elementary School was a Title I school in 2009. Soon, however, it may close.
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AMERICUS, GA -
The Sumter County School Board is considering a controversial plan to close a school.
The system's five year facilities plan includes closing Cherokee Elementary School.
Right now, the school is under 50 percent of capacity.
Students who go to Cherokee now would be transferred to Sara Cobb Elementary.
Sumter County School Board Member Dr. Michael Busman said, "eleven or twelve years ago, we had an enrollment of about 6100 students, now we're just under 5000. So we have eight schools in the system, but we have 1100 less kids."
Dr. Busman says closing the school - which was built in 1964 - would save the district nearly $500,000 dollars a year.
The plan will be discussed at the school board meeting tomorrow night at 7 at the district administration building in Americus.