Mr. Schrieber's school has about 390 students. Switching to one elementary school would save on staff and other operating costs. And building one large school, he adds, would cost less than bringing all the small schools up to modern standards. Other residents didn't like the idea of busing their children to school or putting their young children on a bus with secondary school students. When a small town loses its school, it can feel like the community is dying.
School is still very important to people here.
Parents put pressure on their children to do well. People expect the schools to do a good job.