A small but angry group of middle-school parents addressed the Worthington Board of Education Monday, but they did not seem to make any progress in changing the minds of board members.

For the second consecutive meeting, the parents asked that the board reverse, or at least postpone, its decision to close Perry Middle School next year.

To save money, the board plans to send approximately 150 Perry students to McCord Middle School, effectively making McCord the only middle school serving residents on the west side of the Olentangy River.

The old Perry building would continue to house the 160 students who attend the Phoenix alternative program. That program would be expanded in coming years.

Next year, approximately 530 students would be enrolled at McCord. That number would grow to 590 by 2015.

Enrollment at the two middle schools on the east side of the river would remain steady at 335 at Kilbourne and 360 at Worthingway.

Administrators said they opted to keep students at McCord to avoid splitting up cohort groups and interrupting feeder patterns. Redistricting the entire district would have caused more upheaval, they said.

Parent Dan Cook said he would like for the board to halt the plan and go back and look at fiscal realities.

"If the current plan is such a good idea, why are we in such a hurry," he said.

In announcing its decision, the board and administration said that McCord was built for 700 students.

But Kate Whitesel said on Monday that the school's Web site states that it was built for 500 students.

Crowding that many students into McCord would be like getting 27 people into a Volkswagen. You can do it, but that is not what was meant to be, she said.

Students will have stacked lockers. Because there will also not be enough athletic lockers, all of them will be overflowing with books, backpacks and athletic gear, she said.

To get all of the students served, lunch will have to be served beginning early in the morning, she said.

Amy Weirick said she was "frustrated and angry," pointing out that "only a handful" of questions from a Feb. 18 meeting had been answered on the district Web site.

She still wants to know how much money will be saved by closing Perry, and how much it costs to run the Phoenix program. The program is "phenomenal," but that does not mean that the district can afford to run it.

"It's my money, I don't like the way it is being spent, and that no one is listening to me, and I'm not alone," she told the board.

Kelley Dahn said she was one of the many parents who feel the board is not representing their interests, and the decision is causing a divide between residents on either side of the river.

"It's very lopsided and very unequal and the perception can't be any other way," she said.

Board president Julie Keegan answered by saying that there are no formal meetings planned to discuss the changes, but parents are encouraged to contact building principals and central office administrators for more information.

"There is some misinformation out there and we would like to correct it," she said.