Public Hearing for La Sal School Closure on November 10

Members of the San Juan School Board held a public hearing on Tuesday November 10 to weigh the possibility of closing La Sal Elementary School. 

That meeting was held at the La Sal School. While the school board had a full agenda of other items starting at 3:00 pm, a public hearing regarding the school closure began at 6:00 pm. With residents of La Sal voicing their opposition to the closure. Look for additional details in a coming story.

The study to consider the closure of La Sal Elementary School was approved by the school board at the September 8 meeting.

La Sal Elementary serves students in Kindergarten through Second Grade. Students third grade and up are bussed about 40 miles to Monticello schools.

Enrollment over the past ten years has ranged from five and 15 students, with enrollment the past three years of six, five and seven students.

As part of the legal process to close the school, the district has put out a notice to La Sal and Monticello Elementary parents who would be impacted by the change.

The formal public hearing was the last board required step before a vote can take place on December 15.

At the October board meeting district staff shared data from the closure study evaluating La Sal Elementary School. A Google drive with dozens of links with district compiled information can be found here.

 Business Administrator Jacob Swanson and Superintendent Dr. Christine Fitzgerald shared financial and demographic metrics, including historical per-pupil costs, average daily membership figures, transportation routes, and an estimated $500,000 in needed facility repairs.

Amongst the district-shared data gathered includes a district analysis of spending per pupil at each school in the district over the past six years, as well as an average over those six years. Spending per pupil is highest at Navajo Mountain High at $57,895 per pupil averaged over the past six years. La Sal Elementary is next at $50,260, and the next highest being Bluff Elementary at $29,951.

The lowest per pupil expenditure is at Monticello Elementary at about $11,000. ARL Middle School is at about $13,000 per student and San Juan High is about $14,000 per student, averaged over the past six years.

The documents also include an in-house estimate for La Sal Elementary Capital projects, with the district sharing estimates alongside 20 percent variances to give the board a general idea of the potential costs of capital needs at La Sal. 

District staff said they could ask for bids to get firm prices if the board wants to move forward on improvements. 

The district estimates put capital improvements at the school at $567,000. Among the items with the largest price tags included a $200,000 estimate to replace all existing asphalt, $120,000 for a roof replacement, $77,000 for HVAC rooftop unit including installation, and $41,000 to upgrade fire panel and detectors.

Nearly a dozen residents spoke in person during public comment, with 10 more comments sent to the district voicing opposition to shutting down the school.

Among the concerns raised by La Sal residents include safety concerns related to busing young children.

"Sending a kindergartener, absolutely not," stated resident Paula Garcia, highlighting the daunting nature of long daily commutes. 

Other speakers and submitted letters warned that 45-to-60-minute bus rides in severe winter weather expose young children to physical exhaustion, reduced family time, loss of sleep, and potential exposure to bullying or inappropriate language from older students. 

A special education educator also cautioned the board regarding the severe logistical and health risks long bus rides pose for medically fragile or disabled students.

La Sal residents also argued that the estimated $500,000 in facility repairs should not be used to justify closure of the school. 

Residents pointed out that the annual operational costs of the school – roughly $380,000 – represents a tiny fraction - about one-half a percent – of the district's nearly $90 million in annual spending.

Residents also contend that years of deferred capital investments by the district created the backlog of repairs, with some asking for at least a year to pursue grants, alternative funding or the re-expansion of grade levels to attract more students.

Residents also pointed to the importance of the building to host vital civic functions, including food bank distributions, youth programs and community traditions including the Halloween carnival.

School board members asked a handful of clarifying questions, including how the “Necessarily Existent Small Schools" state funding formulas apply to rural remote campuses like La Sal, with district staff explaining that whether students attend La Sal or another school in the district, that funding allocation would remain the same as the designation is based on how close they are to a larger community.

Additionally, board members clarified that roof replacement would be a top maintenance priority if the building were to remain open.

Board members also emphasized the presentation by staff was informational, with no decision being made, and a formal public hearing on the closure study to take place on November 10 with a potential vote in December.