The Northwest Area School Board voted 7-0 on Thursday to officially close the Northwest Area Intermediate School at the end of the current academic year. The decision is part of a broader consolidation plan designed to stabilize the district’s finances following recent budgetary struggles. Under the new structure, third and fourth graders will be reassigned to the primary school, while fifth and sixth graders will move into the high school building starting this fall.
Superintendent Joseph Long noted that the consolidation will allow the district to streamline operations by moving to a single bus route and reducing its workforce through natural attrition rather than layoffs. To facilitate this, the board approved the retirement of seven teachers, six of whom accepted an early retirement incentive. District officials anticipate these moves will save approximately $700,000 in the first year alone, with significant ongoing savings expected in the future to help offset rising costs and funding shortfalls.