The Coatesville school board is considering changing Gordon from an elementary school to an educational center for special education student now placed in learning facilities outside the district at a cost of upwards of $9 million annually.

School Superintendent Rich Como said bringing back just 116 students of the 303 students will save district taxpayers $2.1 million, even with the hiring of possibly 11 new teachers.

The 230 students now enrolled at Gordon will divided among the six remaining elementary schools. Como said classroom sizes in those schools will not exceed board approved levels. "We are not closing Gordon and no teachers will be laid off," he said.

The student population at Gordon, located in the heart of Coatesville adjacent to Ash Park, is 94 percent minority. He said those students transferred to other elementary schools will receive programs equal to or better than those they are now receiving. "All students will not be able to enjoy our rich diversity," he said.

The plan was first made public at Tuesday night's finance committee meeting. It was discussed later that night by the education committee.

Como said the IEP of each student enrolled in a special education program would be reviewed before that student is returned to the district. "We are charged with educating these students and having someone else do it is like asking someone else to coach you team," he said. "We believe we can do a better job."

The decision to place the special education students at Gordon was based on its size and that it is the most recently renovated school making it ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant. Como said the two-story building already has an elevator.

Gordon at first was a middle school with a student population near 700. It was later renovated at a cost of $8 million and converted to an elementary school at the same time the former Scott High School, which had been sitting vacant, was renovated and opened as Scott Middle School. Students at Benner Elementary were than transferred to Gordon and Benner was converted into an administration building which also housed the district's alternative education program.