The Alachua County School Board voted 3-2 to keep Irby Elementary School open as a pre-K through second grade school at a meeting Tuesday.
The decision accounts for the closure of Alachua Elementary School and the conversion of Mebane into a third through eighth grade school.
In an April 29 workshop, the board generally supported a map option that would convert Irby Elementary into a pre-K through fifth grade school and Mebane Middle School into a pre-K through eighth grade school.
The board also requested new information regarding the conversion of Irby into a pre-K through fourth grade school and Mebane into a fifth through eighth grade school.
However, board members expressed concerns with each of these proposals.
The first proposal divides elementary students along State Road 441. While the district revealed the split would cause no disparities in socioeconomic status, it did not account for other demographics like race; federal law prevents it from considering race in its decisions.
A map utilizing the U.S. Census data shows residents living north of SR 441 are mostly Black. Under the first option, students living north of SR 441 will attend Mebane K-8 School, whereas students living south of the road will attend Irby.
Board Chair Thomas Vu said he doesn’t want to divide the city. Instead, he said he wants “to preserve Alachua as a community.”
Concerns were not restricted to the first option. The proposed conversion of Irby Elementary School into a pre-K through fourth grade school also came with its challenges.
The expansion would require construction, which would eliminate physical education spaces for students and space for large school events.
The construction could also pose safety concerns, removing space for stormwater management facilities and safe evacuations during emergencies.
Due to concerns with both of the suggestions, the board proposed Irby Elementary School remain a pre-K through second grade school and Mebane convert to accommodate third through eighth grade students.
While three board members voted in favor of the proposal, two did not.
Board member Janine Plavac was among those against the proposal. Instead, Plavac urged the board to reconsider the closure of Alachua Elementary School.
“We don't have to change what we’ve already done with boundaries, but just reverse closing Alachua Elementary,” Plavac said. “Let us listen to what the community wants.”
Reopening Alachua Elementary School would eliminate the need for additional renovations, she said.
The district has not shared an estimated cost for converting Mebane into a third through eighth grade school.
According to the district’s presentation, the cost to renovate Mebane’s existing campus is estimated to be about $31 million regardless of what it’s converted into. Construction to convert Mebane into a pre-K through eighth grade school would have been $34 million. This construction cost comes in addition to the cost of renovations.
Board member Leanetta McNealy, who also voted no on the proposal, raised concerns about sending elementary students to school with middle schoolers.
“I know that we should not be putting third and fourth graders — I don't care what kind of construction we have at [Mebane] Middle — but they should not be there,” McNealy said.
Despite Plavac and McNealy’s opposition, the proposal passed.
Changes to Alachua schools — including closures and consolidations — will occur ahead of the 2028-29 school year.
Contact Grace Larson at glarson@alligator.org. Follow her on X @graceellarson.
Grace Larson is a second-year journalism student and this summer's metro editor. She previously worked as city/county commission reporter and K-12 education reporter for The Alligator. When she's not editing stories, Grace enjoys running, weightlifting and going on random side quests. If she's not at her desk, you can find her at any place offering free food and crafts.
