Old Lyme - Parents continued to implore the Lyme-Old Lyme Board of Education on Tuesday to keep Center School intact during a public forum on redistricting the town's three elementary schools.

Realtor Laurie Walker said she'll often drive clients through town and point out the charm of Center School, which sits on a campus on Lyme Street in the heart of Old Lyme.

"I really think that Center School is the fabric of this community," said Walker, who grew up in town. "There's (grades) 3 through 5. There's the middle school. And in back is the high school. The campus atmosphere is very important."

Two redistricting proposals before the school board call for converting Center School from a third- to fifth-grade school to a pre-K facility with district administrative offices.

Option 5B would send fifth-graders to the middle school and save the district $344,506 to $509,206 annually, while Alternative A would keep fifth-graders at the elementary level with an annual savings of $566,276.

One-time implementation costs for either option are projected at $263,500. Both options would result in staff reductions of 5.5 to 6 full-time positions, according to Superintendent Elizabeth Osga.

The board began to evaluate redistricting options two years ago to adapt to a shrinking student population.

Allison Hine, chairman of the board's enrollment committee, said the incoming kindergarten class is expected to be the district's smallest yet.

Either plan would be implemented over a five-year period to let current students continue to attend their current schools, keep siblings together and give the district enough flexibility to revisit the plan, should it become necessary.

Redistricting lines would be redrawn so that Old Lyme students who live on and north of Saunders Hollow Road and on or north of 117 Boston Post Road would attend Lyme School.

A third option, Alternative B, has not been broadly discussed but was proposed in response to a new legal challenge Old Lyme faces which could result in an influx of new year-round residents in the historically seasonal beach and lake communities. It would retain the current grade configurations but send more students to Lyme School.

Lyme resident Lorrie King, who grew up in Old Lyme, said she was happy with the education Lyme-Old Lyme has provided both her and her children.

"I think change is difficult, but change has to happen sometimes," King said. "Our schools are great, the staff is great. No matter what building they're in, they're going to be OK."

The school board will adopt a final plan in May and begin to phase in changes this fall.

j.cho@theday.com

OPTION 5B

Lyme Consolidated: Grades K through 4

Mile Creek: Grades K through 4

Center: Pre-K, Central Office

Middle School: Grades 5 through 8

ALTERNATIVE ALyme Consolidated: Grades K through 5Mile Creek: Grades K through 5Center: Pre-K, Central Office