Closing a Gainesville school might seem like a strange idea given that so many area schools are overcrowded. But Alachua County s public school district has a new elementary school scheduled to open on the west side in the fall, yet lacks the money to operate it.
The School Board is consequently considering closing Terwilliger Elementary and moving its students to the newly built school while a broader rezoning is done. The closure would save $11.6 million in facilities improvements slated for Terwilliger and allow its operating budget to instead be spent at the new school, known for the time being as Elementary School I.