Past decisions to build and preserve some Richmond County schools might come back to haunt school board members now that they are faced with the possibility of closing several of them.

An audit released Thursday recommended closing one high school, one middle school and three elementary schools, suggesting the most underenrolled schools be axed. If the board uses that as the sole criteria, T.W. Josey High, Tubman Middle, Terrace Manor Elementary, Willis Foreman Elementary and Hornsby Elementary would be the likely losers.

Hornsby, however, might survive because construction is almost complete on a new Hornsby Elementary.

The decision made a few years back to replace the school rather than shut it down was political, said Jack Padgett, the chairman of the board's building committee.

"This was simply to get the community to support SPLOST," he said.

Ken Echols, who preceded him as building committee chairman, agreed it was done to gain support for the 1-cent special purpose local option sales tax.

"I think it's because every part of the county was supposed to get something," he said.

Hornsby, the system's most underenrolled elementary school, has 250 pupils -- only 41 percent of its capacity. The new school will have the same capacity, being able to seat 612 pupils.

If Hornsby avoids being closed, the next elementary school on the list based on enrollment and capacity would be Lake Forest Hills Elementary, which is using 71 percent of its seating and has room for 184 more pupils.

Mr. Padgett said he has already begun receiving calls about which schools the board is considering closing, but he is awaiting recommendations from Superintendent Dana Bedden.

Overall, the school system has 5,650 empty seats, according to the audit, creating the need to close schools.

"We're a long way away I think from anything like that happening," board President Jimmy Atkins said, noting that it would cause a ripple effect because schools would need to be rezoned and public forums would be held. "At any time a decision is made, it's not going to be a decision made by just us -- board members."

The decision will be a balancing act between the board being fiscally responsible and being receptive to the community's concerns, Mr. Atkins said.

Felecia Lee, a local representative of the Georgia Association of Educators, said she has been getting questions about school closings. She has explained to educators that a closing won't mean they will be out of a job.

When the issue came up at Thursday's meeting, the mood among the overflow crowd went from one of quiet reservation to one of vocal concern.

The big question is whether the board will act on the recommendations, Mrs. Lee said.

"My hope is that they will take the report, analyze it and read it and be supportive of what the superintendent wants to do," she said.

The audit cited declining enrollments since 2001 and projections that it will continue to decline until 2011. No schools have been closed to offset the decreasing figures. The current student enrollment is slightly less than 32,000.

Despite it being an election year for five of the 10 board members, Mr. Echols said his hope is that the board can set aside politics and do what is in the best interest of the school system.

If five schools are closed, the audit projects savings of about $11.7 million over five years. That money, it suggests, could be reinvested into other schools.

Reach Greg Gelpi at (706) 828-3851 or greg.gelpi@augustachronicle.com.