2 Wyoming schools close Friday

WYOMING, Mich. (WOOD) - Forced to close by a $2.5 million budget deficit, two elementary schools will honor their history with a Friday celebration.

Rogers Lane Elementary and Huntington Woods Elementary are closing. As part of the closure, 32 staff positions - including 12 teachers - will lose their jobs.

"Oh, its pretty sad," said Meredyth Hasenjaeter. "My son's been here since he was in kindergarten. He's in 4th grade now and they just had their big trip."

For Stacey Rowe, there were "mixed emotions. It was a good year. We have a kindergartner here, it's their first year."

Closing Huntington Woods and Rogers Lane elementaries will save the district about $1.2 million, federal stimulus money and a reserve fund for the district will compensate another chunk. The district is working on recommendations for the remaining balance, about $600,000.

Parents understand better than any other how tough times are.

"With the declining tax base, people moving, jobs being lost, they've got a whole lot less money to work with and they still need to teach the kids, so they're doing what they can under the circumstances," Hasenjaeter said.

Still, it's sad. "This is a great school," she said. "It's charming, it's lovely, the teachers are unbelievable. They are. They go far beyond and above the call of duty. We just love it here. We love the school and it's really, really sad for us."

Some staff will be transferred to other buildings. Huntington Woods will become an early childhood center in the fall.

The celebration is set for the Rogers Lane playground.