The East Allen County Schools superintendent unveiled a series of proposals Tuesday that would close several schools, cut staff, change programs and take other steps she said would ward off future financial crisis and improve academic achievement.

The five plans range from closing all five of the district’s high schools and building a new high school to keeping all the high schools and turning Paul Harding High School into a magnet school. In all proposed scenarios, Monroeville and New Haven elementary schools would be closed.

District Superintendent Karyle Green told the school board the changes were necessary to address dwindling revenue, declining student enrollment and excess building space.

After hearing public and board feedback on the proposals, Green said she will present the board with a final plan in the fall. That plan, which will be effective in 2012, will likely combine various aspects of each proposal, Green said.

“These are only starting points for discussion,” Green said. “We have to put these out there for feedback.”

At the next board meeting, Green plans to go into further detail about each plan and discuss proposals to change the district’s academic programming. She said changes were needed not only to save money but also to increase student achievement and narrow achievement gaps, particularly the disparity on ISTEP+ passing rates among black and white students.

If the board opts not to close any schools in the next 10 years, Green estimated the district’s elementary schools would be at 66 percent capacity in 2020. The district’s secondary schools would be at 61 percent capacity, she said.

The administration’s first proposal, the “Community Education Centers” plan, involves maintaining the district’s five high schools but would close Harlan, Hoagland, Monroeville, New Haven and Woodburn elementary schools. The plan also calls for building facilities, including a Leo Middle School, a Heritage Elementary School and a Woodlan Elementary School.

The plan would cut 73 positions, save about $8.4 million in employee costs and add $130,000 in transportation costs during the first year of implementation. Green said the plan would create neighborhood learning communities where feeder schools are near each other.

The second plan, “Tri-River,” would include three high schools, two middle schools and eight middle schools. No facilities would be built, and Harding, New Haven Middle School and Monroeville, New Haven and Village Elementary schools would be closed.

The plan would cut 81 positions, save the district $8.7 million in employee costs and add $788,663 in transportation costs the first year. Green said the plan would provide more course selections, extracurricular options and vocational opportunities at the high school level.

The third plan, known as “Northeast/Southeast,” would include two high schools and a freshman academy, three middle schools and eight elementary schools. Leo and New Haven would function as high schools and a New Haven Freshman Academy would be established. Heritage, Harding and Woodlan would serve grades 6 to 8. Monroeville, New Haven, Village and Woodburn Elementary schools would be closed.

The plan would save the district $8.7 million in employee costs, cutting 75 positions, and add $798,460 in transportation costs. The plan has consistent grade configuration, which Green said would provide increased support for student achievement, instruction and a strong curriculum.

The fourth plan, called “East Allen Unification,” calls for one new high school, five intermediate schools housing grades 4 to 6 and seven elementary schools housing kindergarten through third grade.

The plan calls for building a new, state-of-the-art high school and would close Monroeville, New Haven, Southwick, Village and Woodburn elementary schools and New Haven Middle School. As part of the plan, students would attend elementary and intermediate school in their own communities. The plan would cut 45 positions, saving the district $6.9 million in employee costs. Added transportation costs would come to $860,886 in the first year. The cost of the new high school would come to $126 million.

The final plan, known as “Paul Harding Magnet School,” would keep all five existing high schools but make Harding a magnet school. Leo High and Woodlan High would house grades 7 through 12. New Haven and Prince Chapman would serve grades 6 to 8.

As part of the plan, the district would have eight elementary schools. The plan would close Monroeville, New Haven and Woodburn elementary schools. The magnet school proposal would cut 99 positions, saving $8.1 million in staff costs. Added operational costs will come to $428,737 in the first year.

Green said the plan would maintain racial equity in the schools and provide slightly more opportunities for comprehensive programs at the four high schools. Enrolment at Harding would be based on space and interest.

“None of these plans made me jump for joy,” board member the Rev. Stephen Terry said after Green’s presentation. “There’s frustration that’s going to come. There (are) protests that are going to come, but that’s OK. … We’re forced to confront the brutal facts.”

dhaynie@jg.net