Burke County Looks At Closing Schools

The school board in Burke County will meet tonight to discuss the possible closing of six schools, the (Morganton) News Herald reports. The district is facing a budget shortfall that could total $12 million next fiscal year. School leaders say the district has too much capacity for its current attendance levels. As a result, the superintendent has proposed closing six schools and relocating a 7th. The plan, though, has been met with strong opposition from some in the community. The superintendent has said the schools need to close or the district will have to cut that many more jobs.