MT CARROLL, Ill. — The future of the West Carroll School District is up in the air after a steady decline in students, with one school potentially on the chopping block as a result.
The district school board met Thursday with the community to discuss options over potential closures.
Talks circled about whether to close the district's middle school or high school.
These school consolidation talks also come with the possibility of upgrading its high school, which has experienced health-related issues like asbestos and lead, according to officials.
Leaving community members asking if the older high school building is in disrepair.
"Let's just do what's right for our kids, close the building, three attendance centers is too much," one person said during the meeting.
"We have one building that's in one town that needs a lot of work," another person said.
"We're to educate the students, and what they need, and sometimes a class of five is needed over a class of 27," a community member said.
"Tensions are getting high," Mount Carroll Mayor Carl Bates said. "Do you repair it when you don't need it? That to me is a fact and it needs to be answered. And if the board chooses to put that money in, then what are you going to do with a building that didn't need anything."
No decision has been made on who makes the final call.
The district currently has just over 800 students.
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