Bloomingdale Elementary School (Enterprise photo — Aaron Marbone)

BLOOMINGDALE — All students in third, fourth and fifth grades in the Saranac Lake Central School District will attend Petrova Elementary in the fall as the district cuts one of its four classrooms in these grade levels amid staffing cuts, funding shrinkage and declining student enrollment.

“It’s a very emotional conversation for our families that are impacted by it,” Superintendent Diane Fox said on Friday. “It will be difficult … but it will be OK at the other end.”

Fox made her decision to relocate the classrooms from Bloomingdale to Petrova public on Tuesday in a letter to families.

The district has had four classrooms for these grades — three at Petrova Elementary and one at Bloomingdale Elementary. But with changes in enrollment, finances and staffing, the district had to cut one.

“We do not have enough students to field four classrooms,” SLCSD board Chair Mark Farmer said last month.

Fox said she had limited viable options and chose to cut the Bloomingdale classroom and move all Bloomingdale students in these three grade levels to Petrova — filling the three classrooms currently at Petrova and having none at Bloomingdale. This essentially makes Bloomingdale a pre-K to second-grade school.

“I know this change comes with mixed feelings for many, and I want to express my gratitude for your understanding and support as we work through the transition together,” Fox wrote.

This change was opposed by parents with students in these grades at Bloomingdale, who voiced concerns about their kids leaving the smaller Bloomingdale school environment, splitting up friend groups, longer bus rides and emotional distress for the students who are taken off guard by this change.

Bloomingdale residents and leaders are also concerned this will lead to the school being closed entirely.

The other option Fox had was to cut a room from Petrova and transfer around five students from each of the three grade levels to Bloomingdale — having two classrooms at Petrova and one at Bloomingdale.

Fox had not heard of a viable third option. She said there was no right answer. Any decision when downsizing would upset people and be a disruption, she said.

The district will rework new bus routes to minimize their length for students in these grades who live in the far reaches of the district, further from Petrova than Bloomingdale. Fox said they’re working to ensure that students are not facing substantially longer bus rides.

Families can request to have their younger siblings join their older siblings at Petrova for the upcoming year.

“Everyone in the district is committed to helping families feel comfortable and supported in these changes,” Fox wrote. “Petrova Elementary is already preparing to welcome its newest members with open arms. The staff is excited to build new connections, and I’m confident that this decision will help us continue to provide the best possible education and care for all our students.”

She points out that, since the two communities are already tight-knit, most students at both schools know each other from events, sports or extracurriculars outside of school already.

Fox said the two elementary principals are planning tours at both schools for Bloomingdale students to see “their new digs” at Petrova and for Petrova students to learn about the Bloomingdale community who will be joining their school. Both these tours, as well as a parent open house, are planned before the end of this school year.

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Feedback and equity

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The school board held a meeting at Bloomingdale Elementary last month where residents packed the gymnasium to give their input on the decision, with most asking for these grade levels to continue being offered at the Bloomingdale school.

To read more about his meeting, go to tinyurl.com/49s9k6s2.

Fox also said she received around 20 letters from parents and students. People are very connected to their schools, she said.

“Thank you to everyone who shared their thoughts and took part in these discussions. Your feedback has been essential in shaping this decision,” Fox wrote.

In her letter, she said her decision was guided by a focus on equity. She said she was ensuring that all students have access to the same resources, opportunities and support.

Right now, she said things are not equitable for all students. Bloomingdale has smaller class sizes with more staff-per-student. But there are more special education services at Petrova. There are no special education service staff at Bloomingdale.

“Consolidating these grades at Petrova will enable us to provide consistent services and foster a strong, cohesive environment for students and staff,” Fox wrote.

Farmer said the other option to have two classrooms at Petrova and one at Bloomingdale was more complicated than he expected. He said this would require splitting elementary special education services between the two schools. Similarly, the plan to make Bloomingdale a pre-K to second grade school requires more special education staffing, but the younger grades require fewer of these services.

The district cannot afford to duplicate and double the special services staff.

It’s not a job that can be shared between the two schools, they said. There’s not quite enough work to create a new full-time position, but splitting existing staff between the two buildings would spread them too thin.

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Bloomingdale’s future

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Bloomingdale residents and leaders have concerns about their school closing, especially after the board began taking steps to seriously consider the possibility last year. A shift in students away from Bloomingdale, while not directly related to the school’s future, is connected. If the school is used less, people fear, it will be easier to close.

A closure of the Bloomingdale school would be a board decision. The board has promised not to take any action until the idea is researched by a committee involving members of the public.

The discussion of forming this committee is set for the school board’s next meeting on Wednesday, where they’ll discuss how to solicit members for it. The board plans to reach out to the people who expressed interest in being on the committee last year first.

Parents and Bloomingdale residents have voiced beliefs that Fox’s intention is to close the school before she retires next year and that a student shift away from it would be a step toward closing the school.

“My intention is not to close Bloomingdale before I leave,” Fox said when asked about this last month. “My intention is to leave a plan for the incoming superintendent that continues to provide opportunities for our students in a way that supports our taxpayers.”

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Enrollment decline

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The district has lost 46% of the student population it had in the mid-1990s, when enrollment cracked 1,900. This year, the district had 1,039 students, around 860 fewer than 30 years ago.

Bloomingdale residents are not so sure the downward enrollment trend will last forever. They point to several ongoing housing initiatives with the Trudeau Village, Saranac Lofts and people building single-family homes in St. Armand. They believe the district’s population is set to grow soon.

Fox said the change in classrooms she’s making a decision on now would not be forever and could be reversed if these variables change.

To read more about SLCSD’s enrollment decline, go to tinyurl.com/5ept6av6.