NEW HAVEN – East Allen County Schools residents will have a chance to weigh in on a plan to reconfigure the district’s middle schools after the superintendent makes a formal recommendation April 21.

Superintendent Kay Novotny said during a school board meeting Tuesday she has not decided whether she will recommend a plan that closes Paul Harding High School and turns Woodlan Junior-Senior High School into a middle school or one that removes sixth-graders from a group of elementary schools and puts them in the same buildings as high-schoolers.

After she makes a recommendation at the next board meeting, the district will conduct a series of public meetings in May in the affected communities to gauge reaction.

“There has to be a strong, strong community forum,” said the Rev. Stephen Terry, board president.

District officials and board members have received a number of e-mails from constituents who do not favor the plan that closes Harding. Board member Bill Hartman said he could not support that plan unless the community demanded it, and board member Terry Jo Lightfoot said she favors the plan that puts the sixth-graders in the high schools.

If the district chose to move sixth-graders, officials would have to decide what to do with Monroeville Elementary, which would then serve only about 130 students, Novotny said. Officials would need to decide whether the district can afford to keep the school operating with so few students.

Novotny said she is in a difficult position because while the plan to close Harding is unpopular, she also feels a duty to be a fiscally responsible superintendent. The plan to move sixth-graders will not cost any money for transportation, and Novotny has said closing one high school could save the district $448,000 annually in operating costs.

No matter which plan is selected, Novotny foresees having a referendum in which East Allen voters could decide whether they want their taxes raised to pay for an upgrade in middle school programs. There could also be a referendum on whether to support expansions or renovations involved in either of the plans.

The earliest any of these changes would take place would likely be in the 2010-11 school year.

Novotny made some more final recommendations Tuesday on full-day kindergarten and streamlining the length of the elementary school day districtwide.

Beginning next school year, all elementary school students will attend school for 6 hours and 10 minutes each day. Previously, the length of the day for elementary students ranged from 6 hours and 10 minutes to 6 hours and 40 minutes.

Full-day kindergarten will be added at Harlan and Highland Terrace elementaries next school year, Novotny said.

Cedarville Elementary will add the program for the 2010-11 school year, but it might involve moving third-graders at the school to Leo Elementary to free up the classrooms needed.

“We feel it’s a really valid investment,” Novotny said.

ksoderlund@jg.net