Tough choices in Alleghany County were made Tuesday night as the school board voted to close two schools.
Boiling Spring and Falling Spring elementary schools will close at the end of the school year.
The Alleghany County school board is trying to close a $1.5 million budget gap.
By closing these two schools, a school board member says that around 240 kids and 25 teachers and staff will be affected.
A lot of families came out to save their schools, even before the meeting began.
"We moved here in '09 back from Roanoke so that Gabe could go to a smaller school," parent Beth Woodson said.
Parents desperate to keep their schools open and children who attend them are dissapointed.
"I don't think they should close the school because my dad went there, my sisters went there, and it would be bad," student Katie Burgess said.
When the time came, the Alleghany County School Board still seemed torn which school would close: Sharon Elementary, Boiling Spring, or Falling Spring.
The board ultimately voted to close Boiling Spring and Falling Spring elementary schools.
"I've been on the school board for 12 years, this is the hardest decision I've ever had to face. I'm sure the other board members felt the same. This is not a win-win for this community at all," school board member Robert Fridley said.
There are still more cuts for the school board to make, but Tuesday night's decision gets members more than $700,000 closer to bridging that gap.
As for the kids, Falling Spring students will go to Mountain View in the fall, while Boiling Spring students will go to Callaghan Elementary.
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UPDATED:
The Alleghany County School Board has voted to close two elementary schools in the area.
By a majority vote, both Boiling Spring and Falling Spring schools will close.
The school system is trying to close a $1.5 million budget gap.
WDBJ7 will have more on this story tonight at 10 and 11.
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Longer bus rides are just one of many reasons Alleghany County parents are concerned about their school closing.
The school system there is trying to close a $1.5 million budget gap.
The school board is set to make a decision that could shut down up to three elementary schools.
This has been an emotional issue for the community. Parents are trying to keep those schools open as long as they can.
The elementary schools in danger of closing down are Sharon, Falling Spring, and Boiling Spring.
The school system says a decrease in enrollment over the last eight years has most schools operating at about 50 percent capacity.
The school board is expected to vote on this issue tonight.
But, even closing two of the elementary schools won't be enough. The board would still have to look at cutting teachers and programs.
