As a effort to plug part of a $30 million hole in its budget, the school board began announcing cuts at its Tuesday meeting.

“They closed three out of the four schools that they recommended,” Principal Rick Fleming said.

South Lake Elementary School, Gardendale Elementary School and Clearlake Middle School will all be closed down next year.

“One of those schools they spared, which is Sea Park,” Fleming said. “The school board sees a potential for growth in that area so they hate to close a school and then have a need to reopen it.”

Even though sophomore Bonnie Rice attends West Shore, she has an opinion on all of the other schools that are closing.

“It doesn’t affect me,” she said. “But it makes me sad that kids have to go to a new school and a bunch of people lost their jobs.”

Last week, the school board also voted to eliminate corridor busing from all choice schools.

“I do see it having an impact on us, as far as parents and accessibility to our program,” Fleming said. “But I’m not sure what that impact may look like.”

By Autumn Scheer