Migrant Ed program using shuttered Lyndonville Elementary School

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 July 2013 at 12:00 am

Photo by Tom Rivers – The Lyndonville Elementary School is again a center for learning. The building was closed by the district after the 2011-12 school year. It is being used this summer for a migrant education program.

Photo by Tom Rivers

LYNDONVILLE A year after Lyndonville closed its elementary school due to a falling enrollment, the building is again alive with the sounds of children and teachers.

This summer there will be 120 students from grades K to 8 learning to read, write and do arithmetic – as well as participating in art and physical education. The students are in the migrant education project through Brockport State College. The college is sending students from Orleans, Genesee, Niagara and Monroe counties for the six-week program that started yesterday and runs until Aug. 9.

“This is beneficial to everybody,” said Jason Smith, the Lyndonville district superintendent. “It’s great to see the school used again. The last thing the Board (of Education) wanted to see was the building sit underutilized.”

Brockport is paying Lyndonville $10,000 to use the building for the program. Brockport is also is working out transportation for the students and is paying a food service provider. There are 10 teachers and 10 teachers aides working in the program.

The money for leasing the building should cover the utilities for the school year at the site that was closed after the 2011-12 school year.

The school was down to 100 students in grades three and four, and a special education class during its last year. Those classes and grades were shifted to the main campus where all grade levels are now in one building.