WENGNews writes, "RUMORS HAVE BEEN RUNNING RAMMPED THAT ENGLEWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WILL CLOSE AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, BUT THE SARASOTA COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD ON MONDAY SAID IN A PRESS RELEASE THAT THOSE RUMORS ARE UNFOUNDED. SCHOOL BOARD COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST SCOTT FERGUSON TOLD WENG NEWS THAT THE RUMORS STARTED AFTER A MARCH 11TH DISCUSSION, IN WHICH THE BOARD WAS TRYING TO ADJUST THE ATTENDANCE AREA BOUNDARY WITH TAYLOR RANCH SCHOOL IN VENICE. THE SCHOOL BOARD REJECTED THAT PROPOSAL, WHICH APPARENTLY STARTED THE FIRESTORM. FERGUSON SAID THE SCHOOL BOARD REGULARLY REVIEWS BOUNDARIES AND ENROLLMENT NUMBERS AS PART OF ITS LONG-RANGE PLANNING PROCESS. SCHOOL BOARD CHAIRWOMAN KATHY KLEINLEIN SAID THE SCHOOL BOARD VERY MUCH APPRECIATES THE SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ENGLEWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND THE ENGLEWOOD COMMUNITY. ATTENDANCE AT THE SCHOOL IS DOWN BY NEARLY 300 STUDENTS SINCE 1994, AN ANOMOLY IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA."
