Montco superintendent recommends to close Audubon Elementary

EAGLEVILLE With enrollments sharply declining, Methacton School Superintendent David Zerbe has recommended that the district close Audubon Elementary School.

At a recent crowded school board meeting, Zerbe said he chose Audubon over another elementary school, Arrowhead, for several reasons, including its proximity to another underutilized elementary school, its location on a main thoroughfare, and because it is the most expensive building in the district to operate because of its age.

The district's enrollment has declined about 7 percent in the last 10 years and is expected to keep dropping, according to district projections.

The current enrollment is 4,974 students.

Slower housing development and lower birthrates contributed to the enrollment changes, according to the district.

The district said there is excess capacity in the remaining elementary schools that would absorb Audubon's 433 students. - Kathy Boccella