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Last week three women presented the board with petitions containing 244 signatures opposing plans to close the building in 2009-10 due to declining enrollment.

Tammy Burks said their main concern is moving the seventh and eighth graders into the high school.

"Children grow up too fast," she said.

Burks said they also don't approve of the split classrooms and think the district is spending money on things that could be used to keep the middle school open.

She said they could have probably gotten more signatures, but had only four days before the board meeting on June 18.

"They have legitimate concerns," said board President Brian Mellstead. "Unfortunately we can't afford to keep three buildings open. It's not that we wouldn't, if we could."

"We're glad the parents expressed their concerns," said Superintendent Martha Essenmacher. "We will invite them all to be part of the process (of moving out of the middle school). We will start parent meetings in early fall. Throughout the next year we will monitor enrollment and talk to the parents. We definitely think it is important to have parent input."

She added, "There definitely will be major changes, but we have had major changes in enrollment that impacts everything."

The board is planning to move students out of the building, which now contains grades 5-8, within two years if student enrollment doesn't increase. The reduced enrollment - which leads to reduced state per pupil aid - forced the district to lay off 9 1/2 teachers and several support staff for the 2008-09 school year that begins July 1.

The plan is to have next year's fifth grade remain at Maple Valley Elementary to avoid moving up to the middle school and then back the following year if the sixth grade is moved to the elementary in 2009-10. The seventh and eighth grades would also move to the high school the second year of the building consolidation plan.

The board is thinking about using part of the middle school for an early childhood center, and has approved starting an alternative education center in the fall in some of the classroom area that has been used for fifth grade.