(Sibley)– A local community is losing its school.
The Sibley-Ocheyedan school board voted four-to-one Monday evening to close the school in Ocheyedan, which houses fourth graders. The closure is effective at the end of the current school year. After that fourth graders will attend Ben Franklin Elementary in Sibley.
The pre-school program will remain in the Ocheyedan building.
School officials say the move will save the district an estimated 104-thousand dollars.
The decision isn’t sitting well with some Ocheyedan residents who say the board was hasty in making the decision. School officials say an unexpected decline in enrollment is putting the district in a financial bind and they had to take action now.
