DANVILLE -- After months of repeated debate over the elementary consolidation plan, the Danville school board almost made it through a meeting without a hint of controversy.

Mike Benjamin, of Riverside, spoke out just before the board motioned for adjournment and wondered why no discussion about the district's latest plan to close Danville Elementary School, while renovating Mahoning-Cooper and Riverside schools, had taken place.

He said the board owed it to the community to keep taxpayers and parents abreast of the situation.

"I'm dismayed I haven't heard a word," Benjamin said. "From everyone I've talked to, no one is content. Where are we going with this? What are the final plans? What's the time line?

"We've gone from a relative calm, and we've created a storm."

District officials didn't have many clear-cut answers for Benjamin and the eight other residents who stayed until the end of the meeting, which appeared to be coming to a close by 8 p.m. but lasted for another hour.

"The architect is working the plans," said Allan Schappert, board president. "We've taken a big step backward here, and we must now go through the conceptual (design) and approvals through (the state Department of Education)."

Steve Schooley, board member, said even the current plan is not a done deal yet, "not by a long shot."

Both Schappert and Megan Raup, board member, said the decision can quickly change with another vote, especially with a vacancy on the board now created with Carol Bisordi leaving.

"It's a done deal unless someone raises a motion to do something else," said Schappert, as Raup added, "It was a 5-4 vote last time (to change course), and we have a new board member coming on. We could very well change again."

Benjamin raised concern that the board was approaching consolidation irresponsibly.

"This appears to be a situation where the board is looking at everyone's personal agenda, thinking their agenda is the one that will solve all of the problems," Benjamin said. "I'm sorry, but that's not going to happen."

Rather than worry about appeasing the different neighborhoods and only close one school, Benjamin urged the board to reconsider building a new consolidated school, which would close three schools and save money. The current option is estimated to cost the district up to $30 million, while the former option was estimated at $24.2 million.

"I'm not afraid of my taxes going up if it's responsible and feasible," Benjamin said. "Now, you've hijacked this ship and are asking us to go in separate directions. A school with 600 students is not a mega school."

Benjamin, along with Schooley, said basing a decision on studies comparing small schools to larger ones is not the best approach. Schooley added that he will continue to fight to keep Danville Elementary School (DES) open while advocating the district go back to its original plan.