Wailupe Valley Elementary School has become the first casualty of the public education system's effort to close small or underused schools across the state.

The state Board of Education yesterday voted 14-0 to close Wailupe Valley at the end of the school year and transfer its 75 students to 'Aina Haina Elementary School, about a mile away.

The decision came after more than four months of debate and public testimony in the East O'ahu community over the issue. While the most recent effort to close Wailupe began back in late December, the notion of closing the small elementary school has been around for at least 35 years.

"As a longtime resident of 'Aina Haina, this is very difficult. ... This is not a new issue to look at Wailupe, but it's very difficult," said Karen Knudsen, BOE vice chairwoman.

"While I will support this motion, I do find it ironic that we are closing it because it's a small school and yet so many people in the community champion charter schools because they are small schools," Knudsen said.

Wailupe will become the first school to be consolidated in the state since 1987, when students from 'Anuenue Elementary were shifted to nearby Palolo Elementary.

A school consolidation task force found that the state spends more than twice as much per pupil at Wailupe Valley ($12,079) than at 'Aina Haina ($5,140).

In addition, although Wailupe's class sizes (eight to 14 students) are smaller than 'Aina Haina's (17 to 22 students), students at 'Aina Haina had higher test scores. In 2007, 88 percent of 'Aina Haina students were tested as proficient in reading compared with 77 percent at Wailupe Valley. In math, 77 percent of 'Aina Haina students were judged proficient compared with 54 percent at Wailupe Valley.

At the end of the school year, all students enrolled at Wailupe, including those who live in the district and those with geographic exceptions, will be transferred to 'Aina Haina Elementary.

More than half of Wailupe's current students come from outside the district, from 'Ewa to Mililani to Hawai'i Kai.

Cheryl Dung, a fourth-grade teacher who had been at Wailupe for 15 years, was among several teachers in the gallery crying after the decision was made.

"I'm emotionally attached to it," she said.

Most of Wailupe's senior teachers are likely to be transferred to 'Aina Haina if positions are available, said Ronn Nozoe, school complex area superintendent.

Dung said she and a few other teachers with less seniority have yet to be notified where they may be transferred.

The board decision follows an 8-0 vote last week recommending closure by a task force made up of parents, school administrators and community members. The task force had been meeting since Dec. 23 to decide whether to recommend merging Wailupe Valley with 'Aina Haina.

At yesterday's board meeting, a couple of Wailupe parents testified that they felt the process was unfair.

Amy Rice, whose son is a student at Wailupe, said she felt closing the school was predetermined and the task force process appeared to simply be people "going through the motions."

"If you go ahead and close the school ... you're setting a whole precedent for small schools in the state," she said.

However, board member John Penebacker told fellow members that the Wailupe closure vote should not be viewed as a signal that all small schools are in jeopardy.

Other areas such as Ka'a'awa, Moloka'i and Maui are also involved in a process to close or consolidate schools in their communities.

"This is a slippery slope. I have raised concerns about closing schools because of political pressure," Penebacker said, referring to efforts at the Legislature to establish a school consolidation commission.

"We should not take this as reason to close other schools. ... We should not take this as a beginning, or a rush to close a lot of schools without having sound data," he said.

Several board members said they felt the facts supporting consolidation were compelling, such as cost and student achievement.