HILO, Hawaii — A Big Island task force is studying whether Kohala Middle School should be closed.

If so, its 198 students would be relocated to the Kohala High and Elementary campus four miles away.
The financially troubled state Department of Education is looking for public schools it can close in order to save money.
Some members of the task force believe closing the middle school would be a mistake. They argue the campus at the elementary and high school is already crowded.
High school Principal Catherine Bratt is against the proposal. She says mixing middle schoolers with high schoolers would lead to behavior problems.
The 12-member panel is to make its recommendation sometime between Thanksgiving and the end of the year.
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Information from: Hawaii Tribune-Herald, http://www.hilohawaiitribune.com