The two-hour Selma City School Board work session Tuesday evening, garnered quizzical looks and frustrated dialogue as board members voiced their final concerns about the possible closings of Byrd Elementary and School of Discovery in 2013.

Selma City Schools Superintendent Don Jefferson said with more than $1 million given to the city in public school funds to spread throughout 11 schools, the system would have to downsize to nine schools to save money. The decision, Jefferson said, would unfortunately leave support personnel jobs hanging in the balance and decrease extracurricular activities in schools. And with no FYI 2012 budget hammered out, Jefferson said tough decisions must be made.

“Do we want to be mediocre or do we want to be effective? That’s what we need to look at,” Jefferson said. “We tried to the nth degree to answer every question and we had four town hall meetings as we’ve all discussed this wouldn’t be an easy decision.

“I don’t want to close any school, but with the decline in student enrollment and proration for the past three years in a row, we don’t know what’s going to happen,” Jefferson said. “I want the board members to give respect to the process and vote their convictions.”

Some board members believe school closings would not save the estimated $600,000 in expenses and salaries Jefferson previously suggested.

“In my opinion, we just wouldn’t be saving money at all,” said School Board member Frank Chestnut Jr. “I want some real figures.”

School board member Brenda Obomanu, who attended Knox Elementary in her youth, gave the suggestion of combining both Byrd and Knox.

“Mr. Pope from Knox and Mrs. Taylor from Byrd could work together at Byrd as co-principals, giving the school a new name that complements both schools,” Obomanu said. “Make the school a community school like SOD and Selma CHAT Academy.”

Obomanu also believes the School of Discovery is a staple for the Selma community and is a benefit to sixth graders.

“If we close that school, it would be an injustice to our boys and girls,” Obomanu said.

“Closing the school would just make us go backwards as a city, we would regress.”

School Board president Henry Hicks said whatever the decision, board members should keep the welfare of Selma’s children in mind.

“If we close the school that’s fine and if not, we have to do something else,” Hicks said. “We’ve got to do what’s best for our children.”

Jefferson will bring forth the recommendation of closing both schools as well as the Phoenix School before the board to vote on at the May 12 scheduled board meeting.