'Incredibly painful:' Lynchburg elementary schools could see early closure

LYNCHBURG, Va. (WSET) — Lynchburg City Council is in a battle with school leaders over the district's budget and in the middle of it all is the future of two schools. School leaders told council without more money those schools could close in a matter of weeks.

School leaders say $4.3 million is needed to round out next year's budget, and if they don't get it, T.C. Miller and Sandusky elementary schools could close earlier than expected.

The two elementary schools are slated to close in 2025, following a school board vote from last September.

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It's something that will have a major impact on the area's educators, Save Our Schools Director Nettie Webb said.

"This process has been incredibly painful, emotionally, everything. Continuously these people are showing up for our students, they're coming in, they're trying to give them hope," Webb said.

If the needed $4 million isn't provided to the school's budget, the two elementary schools could close at the end of this school year. It's not a popular decision, but one school board member, Dr. Martin Day, said is still on the table.

"That is one possibility. We would like it if we could come up with some other possibilities, but my point was we will be faced with some very difficult decisions if we find ourselves in that situation," Day said.

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City Councilman Sterling Wilder said he doesn't want to see any schools close.

"I've asked the city manager to look for any additional resources so I'm still working behind the scenes trying to find some way to keep both of those schools open," Wilder said.

The next Lynchburg City Council meeting is on April 16, and Wilder said he hopes a clearer direction on a budget can be set then.

Another option is for the schools to receive the needed funds in Governor Glenn Youngkin's budget, which lawmakers will work on when they reconvene next week.