MACHENSEY PARK, Ill. (WREX) — The Harlem School District announced a proposal to consolidate their district at their board meeting Monday night, now leaving many questions up in the air.

The district announced a plan to close both Olson Park and Maple Elementary Schools, opting to split students by grade level into the three remaining elementary schools.

The news came with the district citing a $3.1 million deficit as the cause for the change.

Tuesday, the Harlem School District superintendent, Terrell Yarbrough, hosted a press conference to answer some of the looming questions. There, he shared they first discovered potential funding issues in 2020.

This, paired with a decline in enrollment rates and the elementary schools operating well below capacity, lead to the now present deficit

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