BAY MINETTE - The Baldwin County Board of Education voted last night to shutter the historic Kindergarten Center in downtown Fairhope at the end of the school year and move it's 240-plus students to the new Fairhope Elementary School, which reportedly has 11 open classrooms.

There are no immediate plans as to what to do with the K Center, which has educated generations of Fairhopians in a 1920s era building on Church Street. First-grade classes were moved from the K Center to the elementary school this year, after the new school was constructed on Section Street.

Jeanine Normand, a retired educator who spoke at last night's meeting, called the decision "heartbreaking."

"This is a school that is part of the community and a place where students have a very unique and special learning experience. Closing the K Center in the name of saving money and crowding students into a new school will not improve the quality of education and may in fact decrease it."

Superintendent Alan Lee reported that closing the K Center would save the Board of Education as much as $720,000 per year, although he has not elaborated on that figure and would not do so at Thursday's board meeting for several speakers who asked.

The K Center currently has 11 kindergarten classrooms, which could make the transition into the new elementary school without additional accommodations. However, it is not known what will happen to the two special needs classroom at the K Center or how the elementary school will expand once all of its classrooms are full.

Baldwin County Schools Spokesman Terry WIlhite, said the board would evaluate the best location for the special needs classrooms based on available space and accommodations elsewhere.

"Dr. Lee is looking at evaluating the configuration of K-6 schools across the county," Wilhite said. "We're are in extremely difficult financial times where we have to look for every possible source of savings."

Wilhite said the $720,000 would be saved in utility costs and support staff salaries at the K Center. Teachers and administrators would move with the students to Elementary School, but support staff would have to apply for other jobs within the system.

Leslie Ann Tarrabella, a member of the citizen's group "Save the K Center", told the board Thursday night that the financial savings would be "measly" and likened future kindergartners to "sacrificial lambs."

"Common sense tells you that (the K Center), in a small setting, is better for (kindergardeners), than being pushed (to the elementary school) with 1,000 children," Tarrabella said. "That is wrong."

John Hunter, a Fairhope resident whos daughter went to the K center last year, said the reason many Fairhopians supported a penny sales tax increase last year was in the hopes it would help keep the K Center open.

"That K Center is a jewel. We feel like our voting rights are being trampled on. The precinct of Fairhope had the most 'yes' votes for that penny tax and this is the thanks we get."

Lee said that although there are no current plans for the K Center, the board would retain the building for future growth.