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NORTON - School officials are urging parents to attend next Monday's school budget public hearing when the possibility of closing the L.G. Nourse Elementary School will be discussed.

Nourse Principal Danielle Klingaman mentions the "possible closing of LGN" in a letter to parents in the school's April newsletter.

Also, a flyer promoting the budget hearing lists "closing of the LG Nourse School" among the "relevant possible reductions" to be discussed at the meeting, at 6:30 p.m. Monday in the Norton High School auditorium. The flyer is posted on the schools' Web site.

However, school committee Chairman Kevin O'Neil said Tuesday that Nourse will be open in September.

Rather, school officials want residents' input on closing the school "sometime in the future," he said. "We want to hear what people have to say and to understand their priorities better," O'Neil said.

"At the current trend, we'll be faced with these tough decisions. We're trying to incorporate some long term direction from the community into the budget presentation."

A preliminary study by Superintendent Patricia Ansay this winter indicated that further study was needed before Norton reconfigured grades and consolidated services to cut expenses.