Jun 23, 2009 12:11 pm US/Pacific
Final Bell: School Closing Due To Budget Cuts
KNIGHT'S LANDING, Calif. (CBS13) ―
The final bell will ring at a Yolo County school today. Grafton Elementary School in Knights Landing will close its doors for good leaving the town without a school.
The school is a casualty of the Woodland Unified School District's budget cuts.
It's an emotional day for staff and students who say the loss will leave a gaping hole in the community.
"It's real hard for me to come to work today," said school secretary Teresa Guerrero who has worked at the school for 22 years. "I told them that, the board taking and closing this school would be like taking a mother away from their children. It was the heart of the town."
The town fought to keep the lone school open. But the Woodland Unified School District decided the school had to close to help close the $7 million budget shortfall.
The principal of the school, Roberto Barajas, was once a student himself at Grafton.
"It's gonna cause a lot of inconveniences, and it's unfortunate, but we had to make some budget cuts," said Barajas.
The school's 120 students will now be transferred to other schools out of Knight's Landing. Some will attend class in Robbins but other will have to take the bus to Woodland.
Most teachers who work at the school have been reassigned, but some have been let go.
The campus will now be used as a community college.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Car Slams Into Home Overnight
More Local News
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Comments