Budget Woes Forcing Closure Of Nesconset Elementary School
SMITHTOWN, NY (CBSNewYork) - After more than a century of reading, writing, and arithmetic, the budget axe has caught up with a Long Island school house.
WCBS 880 Long Island Bureau Chief Mike Xirinachs On The Story
Podcast
The 104-year-old Nesconset Elementary School in Smithtown will be no more after the season, a victim of tough economic times.
"The thing that unites us all is understanding that the financial reality of the times is what it is," said principal Janine Pratt Lavery.
Closing the old school will save about $1 million annually in personal expenses and operating costs. That doesn't make the closing any easier, says Lavery, who promises a smooth transition to other schools next year.
"This, all in all, is a sacrifice that has to be made by the community that will be okay for the children," she said Wednesday.
She says she'll try to focus on the positive.
"We're going to make this a bit of a celebration of the 104 years of excellence that have taken place here at Nesconset," she said.
Did you go to Nesconset? If so, please share your memories in the comments section below!
