School Board Holds Public Hearing

Save our school.  That's the message dozens of concerned Cussewago Elementary parents expressed Tuesday night at a public hearing. A decline in enrollment has forced talks of possibly closing down the school.

The Penncrest School Board heard dozens of parents and township residents explain why they feel closing Cussewago Elementary would be a big mistake. Debra White says, "Cussewago is just a fantastic place, it's like a family, i mean, we're not just a community we're a family and it's so important to keep that together."

After conducting a facility usage study, Penncrest School District officials have determined there's been a steady decrease in enrollment at Cussewago Elementary over the last 15 years. With children's education in the mix, it can be frustrating for parents as well as the school district.

There's 3 options the district's looking at to keep the facility running. They could keep it as it is and face a budget deficit, or increase class sizes by brining some Cambridge Springs Elementary students to Cussewago. If the decision is made to close Cussewago, they could either close it in stages, or close it immediately and transfer students to Cambridge Springs or Saegertown.