CLEVELAND — The Rowan-Salisbury Board of Education will host a community meeting today to discuss the planned new western elementary school to consolidate schools Cleveland and Woodleaf.

The meeting is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. at West Rowan High School and will feature a presentation from SfL+a Architects.

Members of the Cleveland and Woodleaf communities are encouraged to share their thoughts on the planned merger of Cleveland and Woodleaf schools.

Board Chairman Josh Wagner has requested that, out of respect for the Cleveland and Woodleaf communities, discussion be kept to the merger of the two elementary schools.

After raising the possibility of future consolidations to save money and better use capacity, the school board heard a proposal April 7 that would shutter four more elementary schools and merge their student populations with those of other schools. Parents, students and others at those schools — Morgan, Faith, Enochville and Mount Ulla — have condemned their potential closings and urged the school board to reject the proposal.

The discussion about consolidating Cleveland and Woodleaf elementary schools goest back to at least 2009, when school board members at the time made a combined new school the top priority on a list of capital requests presented to the county. The school board has selected a site on N.C. 801.