Everly, Iowa — It will be the end of an era. Clay Central-Everly Schools will be closing the Everly center.
Almost a month ago, it was decided that due to declining enrollment and a survey that said that many parents plan to send their 7th-12th graders to other schools in the fall, that Clay Central-Everly would become essentially an elementary-only district and would “tuition out” their middle and high school students to other area districts to complete their education.
At a board meeting on Monday night, April 8th, it was decided to close the Everly building. Clay Central-Everly Superintendent Dennis McClain explains.
He says there was a meeting on Thursday, April 4th, where people could express their opinion. He says there was a lot of support for keeping the elementary building in Royal as the elementary building in the fall.
According to McClain, a switch to the Everly building would have meant a number of building changes as it hasn’t been an elementary in quite a while.
McClain tells us that they will be looking for someone who wants to retrofit the Everly building for housing or another use. But ultimately, they will want to sell the property — hopefully with the building on it — but otherwise, they’d demolish the building “down the road” and sell the land for development.
