St. Mary School Board votes to close Shannon, Hernandez elementaries

CENTERVILLE -- By a pair of 7-4 votes Monday, the St. Mary Parish School Board carried through on plans to close M.D. Shannon Elementary in Morgan City and J.A. Hernandez Elementary in Franklin to save money as district revenues slump.

The closures are billed by the administration as consolidations. Students who would have been in the Shannon zone will instead go to M.E. Norman or Wyandotte in Morgan City. Students who would otherwise have gone to Hernandez will instead go to either Foster or LaGrange in Franklin.

The new school zones have yet to be developed.

Administrators said closing the two schools would save a net of about $3.6 million annually, the biggest single step toward patching a potential revenue shortfall of at least $4 million in the next school year. Supporters of consolidation said declining enrollment has led to a reduction in aid funds. The recent plunge in oil prices has also reduced sales tax revenue for local governments.