Chrissy Alspaugh, The Republic

    BROWNSTOWN — Freetown Elementary will close at the end of this school year. 
   
     Brownstown Central Community School Board on Tuesday unanimously approved closing the school as part of a plan to cut $1 million from its budget by 2011. 
    
     District officials said the decision helps solidify the longevity of the school corporation, but Freetown residents said they believe it will result in the eventual death of their town. 

    “There is no other way,” said Superintendent Roger Bane. 

    Tuesday’s decision adds Brownstown Central Community School Corp. to the growing list of Hoosier school districts making painful cuts to try to stay financially solvent through the recession. 

    Gov. Mitch Daniels in December announced he will cut state spending on public schools by at least $300 million over the next 18 months, leaving each school district throughout the state with 3.5 percent less in its General Fund. This week he announced that further cuts likely are on the horizon. 

     Brownstown’s financial struggles are compounded by the recent need for the addition of a speech and hearing teacher, a decrease in career and technical revenue from the state and the addition of a fifth-grade teacher at Brownstown Elementary. 

    In all, officials expect the 2011 budget to be short $1,033,906, or about 9 percent of the total budget. 

    Additionally, Bane said his directive from Indiana Department of Education is to view 2010 funding as “the new baseline” — meaning funding won’t necessarily increase when the economy rebounds. 

    Without significant spending changes, he said his district would be operating a little more than $500,000 in the red by the middle of 2013.

Nearly balanced in 2011 

    Closing Freetown Elementary and offering early retirement packages to eight teachers districtwide, both effective at the end of this school year, will nearly allow the corporation to balance its 2011 budget, Bane said. 

    Other cost-saving measures will include eliminating one special education aide and one maintenance position, reducing travel and professional development spending and purchasing fewer high school supplies. 

    District officials voted to close Freetown Elementary over another option they’d considered that included eliminating the elementary art program and all athletic salaries and eliminating a range of teacher and teacher assistant positions. 

    Bane said throughout the process, his priority was to retain student services and programs. 

    The move also will retain jobs, he said. 

    Two teachers have accepted early retirement packages, and Bane said one more likely will result in no teacher layoffs. 

    Just as Freetown Elementary students join Brownstown Elementary, so too will Freetown teachers. 

    As of late February, Freetown Elementary had 94 students enrolled, and class sizes ranged from 11 students to 26. The school has an average of five fewer students per class than the rest of the district’s schools. 

    Bane said transferring the students to Brownstown will increase their morning bus ride by about 20 minutes.