ESCANABA — The Escanaba School Board is considering closing a school building and consolidating schools.

At a special Escanaba School Board meeting this week, Escanaba Superintendent Coby Fletcher said he has taken data from the Escanaba Upper Elementary, Lemmer and Soo Hill schools to create cost-effective options and pros and cons for closing either the EUE or Soo Hill schools.

“There are two different possibilities for consolidation for your consideration,” Fletcher told the board. “If we chose to go with option one, we are reducing the usage of the most expensive building to maintain.”

Option one of the consolidation closes the EUE and moves sixth grade students to the Escanaba Junior High School, and first through fifth grades to Lemmer or Soo Hill schools. The central office, technology department and technology equipment would all remain in the EUE building. The overall cost savings, according to Fletcher, would be $398,000.

“This school, as beautiful as it is, was not built in a time where they worried a whole lot about things like, energy efficiency, or safety,” said Fletcher. “That building philosophy is kind of working against us today, unfortunately.”

If the Upper Elementary campus would close down, Lemmer’s enrollment would go to about 420, which is below what it operated at for several years, and Soo Hill’s would go to 346, Fletcher said.

Consolidation option two moves first and second grades to Lemmer and third through sixth to the EUE.

“We would improve building usage and consolidate down to fewer campuses,” said Fletcher. “It also leaves a little more room…, instead of part of our first grade teachers at Lemmer and the others teaching at Soo Hill, all of our first grade teachers would collaborate together in one school. It would be the same for each grade.”

Option two closes the Soo Hill school and building. By anticipating no immediate or future need to use the building, it would be leased or sold. The calculated savings would be $313,000.

When a sinking fund millage failed in November of 2018, Fletcher started working on ideas to save the school district money. During this time other options were reviewed, including selling surplus or unused properties and adjusting rental rates from the 1970s.

Since the 2004-2005 school year student enrollment has declined every year but one. In the 2004-2005 school year, there were 2,973 students enrolled in the Escanaba School District. This school year, there are 2,228. According to many indications, the trend will continue into the future.

The discussion of consolidation will continue at the next board meeting at 6 p.m. Eastern time March 11 at the Escanaba Upper Elementary School.

Deborah Prescott can be reached at dprescott@dailypress.net.