By Heather Itzen and Paul Shelton
WACO - Parents and students gathered Wednesday night at A.J. Moore Academy in Waco to voice their concerns about the school's future.
The Waco Independent School District Board of Trustees is considering closing the campus because of a $3.5 million cut in state education funding.
The district is proposing two options that would include closing the A.J. Moore Academy building and moving the school's academies into a wing of the new University High School.
Parents and students wanting to keep the campus open argued that A.J. Moore has the highest graduation, testing, and college placement rates in the district.
"In the business world if you have an office that was performing well that would not be your first place to cut," said Suzie Seibel, A.J. Moore Parent.
Waco ISD is holding forums to give the public a chance to weigh in on the school closing options to address the multi-million dollar budget shortfall. The board is still weeks away from making a final decision on the matter.
"I think there are other possibilities, but I do feel like they may be willing to listen to some of those options and I certainly hope so as a parent," said Seibel.
The next public forum will be Thursday, January 12, 6:30 p.m. at G.W. Carver Academy.
For more information about the two proposed options please visit the Waco ISD web site at http://www.wacoisd.org/.
