Rural Elementary School Likely To Close

People in a small Gulf Coast community are trying to save their only school.
The school is Munson Elementary in Munson, Florida in Santa Rosa County.
Betty Thompson said her life is connected to Munson Elementary School.
She said, "My daughter finished school here, my granddaughter is going here and I hope my grandson will go here."
Santa Rosa County School Superintendent Tim Wyrosdick said there's a good possibility the school board will have to close Munson Elementary at the end of this school year because of financial problems.
Wyrosdick said, "Munson is one of those schools that has not generated enough operating revenue to cover those operating expenses and so, the school board, over the past probably fifteen years has been supplementing the monies at Munson in order to keep it open."
Thompson said Munson is a strong academic school and that, while other schools have portables, Munson has room to expand.
She said, "We have a state of the art library that's unbelievable, the technology they have spent money for in this school."
Thompson also said students would have to travel on school buses at least 13 miles further if they're transferred to other schools.
She said, "It takes an hour to come home because of the school route."
When asked how long it would take if Munson closes, Thompson said, "Probably two hours minimal."
Wyrosdick said, "It is still less expensive to transport a longer distance than to maintain continuing to open that school at this point."
Thompson said, "We have all our functions up here, the athletic association, we've even had receptions for weddings, all the events, the Fall Festival, where the children come up, they play games. We have meals here."
A decision on the school's fate could come in about a month.