Smithtown, NY (SmithtownRadio.com) – With money and population disappearing, the Smithtown Central School District is considering shutting one of it’s nine elementary schools.

Districts islandwide are planning their 2011-2012 operating budgets and several, including Smithtown, Mineola and Lindenhurst, are looking into closing an elementary school building to save money.

The Smithtown Board of Education says it’s nearly an option amongst others on the table.

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The district says they are fighting a drop in federal and state school aid money next year on top of a proposed statewide cap on property tax increases. Additionally, the population of kids is down.

The districts says the student body population at Smithtown Elementary School is down 500 from this year before.

Smithtown, along with Branch Brook and Dogwood, are the schools being considered for the closure. If the district decides to close one, a vote on which building will come this spring.

The district is said to be saving at least $400,000 a year with the potential closure because they will be eliminating five teacher positions. Additionally, the district will save on utilities such as heating and electricity.

Students will not be facing increased class sizes with the potential shift, the district says. The current rules, limiting classrooms to 25 students between Kindergarten and third grade and 27 students for fourth and fifth grades, will remain in place.

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