The Limestone County Board of Education met Tuesday evening at the Courthouse Annex to discuss an assortment of topics from the various schools they oversee, including the planned closure of Piney Chapel Elementary School.

The local school will be closed at the end of this school year, but the school will be transformed into a daycare facility for the children of Limestone County School faculty to utilize next school year.

Randy Shearouse, Limestone County superintendent, provided an update to their strategic plans of the new Piney Chapel Early Learning Academy at the meeting, but he told The News Courier that the overall goal is to provide a beneficial childcare opportunity for their staff.

“By closing this facility we will have room to offer a childcare program for our employees,” Shearhouse said. “We want to take care of our employees and their families, and we feel like this will be a good cost-effective option for our employees.”

Shearouse also mentioned that the remaining students who currently attend Piney Chapel Elementary will be going to the newly constructed Elkmont Elementary next school year.

“We are really excited about the great opportunity and facility these students will get to utilize,” Shearouse said. “We just think this whole program will be a win-win for our school system in general.”

Kandye Jones, the current principal of Piney Chapel, also talked with The News Courier about the planned closure and what the future holds for her students and herself.

“These kids have been nurtured and loved here, so there are a lot of emotions, especially as we are getting closer to the end of the year,” Jones said. “They are about to spread their wings and go to a multi-million dollar facility, and it’s going to blow their minds. I’ll be the new principal of Tanner Elementary starting July 1.”

Before she is to leave and become a Tanner Rattler, Jones has set up one final outing for Piney Chapel Elementary to celebrate together on Sunday, May 19, at 2 p.m.

Jones has invited all current and former students, parents, faculty and staff to Piney Chapel for a final farewell event called “Piney Panther Way for One More Day.”

“I think it is amazing that Piney Chapel has been a great close-knit school since it’s started and up until it’s finished,” Shearouse said. “This school will take all of its excellent achievements to Elkmont and carry on its long history there.”