MONONGAHELA, Pa. -- Students in Washington County attended class for the last time at Carroll Middle School this year after the school board Ringgold School Board decided to move the students to a different school.

Parents and school officials met Wednesday evening at the middle school to discuss its future. The school board unanimously voted to shut down the building and bus students across town, WTAE Channel 4's Shannon Perrine reported.

Families with children who live nearby have opposed the plan to close Carroll for months. The current plan for Carroll students is to bus them to Finley Middle School instead.

"It's always a tough decision when you have to close a school, but you have to look at the big picture, and this is for the best for the education of the students and it's going to improve our curriculum," Superintendent Gary Hamilton said.

Parents have signed petitions, attended meetings and been vocal about their displeasure with that move, in part, because the trip to Finley is too far on what the parents called a dangerous road.

"I think the ride on (Route) 43 that we have to (use) is not safe for the children if they have to go the 65 mph speed limit, and I just don't think that's right with the kids in case something happens with the bus," said Leo Cialone, a parent.

With the closure of Carroll comes the search for a site to build a brand new middle school -- a process that's expected to take two to three years.

"We want to improve student achievement. That is the bottom line in the Ringgold School District," Hamilton said.

Board members said Carroll Middle School will be renovated and turned into an elementary school.