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Concrete Middle School students will be learning in another building starting next year.

The Concrete School Board last week unanimously approved changing the elementary school’s configuration to include seventh- and eighth-grade students.

The move comes a few weeks after school officials met with the community to discuss closing the middle school building due to decreasing enrollment numbers.

No discussion took place during the meeting regarding the change, which would likely eliminate about three teaching positions within the district, saving the district about $179,000, according to school officials.

Since the 1999-2000 school year, the school district has lost about 283 students — including about 40 during the 2007-2008 school year so far.

The middle school would reopen in the future once enrollment increases, Superintendent Barbara Hawkings said last week.

Also at the meeting, the School Board approved a three-year contract extension with Hawkings. The contract runs until June 2011. Hawkings’ base salary for the 2008-2009 school year will be $104,664.

Hawkings became the interim superintendent during the 2006-2007 school year, taking over from her predecessor, Mike Parker, who left after the 2005-2006 school year.
The School Board approved Hawkings as the permanent superintendent in January 2007.