LIVERPOOL -- Sad news from the Liverpool School District. We have just learned that the President of the Liverpool School Board has died.

According to a news release sent by Superintendent Dr. Richard Johns, Patricia Mouton suffered an apparent heart attack at Monday night's school board meeting and died a short time later.

Johns is asking schools to observe a moment of contemplation today.

Stay with CNY Central for more on this story as it develops.

Original Story:

The Liverpool School Board has unanimously voted to close Wetzel Road Elementary School. The closure is part of Superintendent Richard Johns' plan to close a $10 million dollar budget gap.

The Liverpool School Board played to a crowded auditorium Monday night. At least 150 students, parents and teachers who don't agree with how the school board is proposing to close its budget gap, and how quickly its moving.  Many came out wondering why target Wetzel Road and Morgan elementary schools, including parent Ginger Wagner says, "If they were trying to close a school, on a premise of closing a budget gao. Shouldn't we close the most expensive school?"

The Board also voted to put off discussions of the specialized high school academies until next year. Johns says he doesn't want to rush the academy plan, but the Wetzel Road closure has to be done now because of education cuts from Albany.  Superintendent Richard Johns says, "The only reason we're talking about moving up the closing of Wetzel is because of the 5.9 million dollars that the governor cut out of our budget."

Dozens of students showed up to Monday night's board meeting to protest the cuts.  Specifically the resignation of Executive Principal Greg Avallino, a position the district is not likely to fill when he leaves at the end of the academic year.  Junior Persephone Longale says, "He's such a good principal and we think he brought a lot of good things to the school and without him things will go down the toilet and it will be a loss Liverpool may not be able to recover from."

An online petition has been started in an attempt to keep Avallino in his currentl position. Click here to read it.

Parents at the meeting say despite the tabling of talks on the Liverpool Academy, they believe it's an inevitable scenario with the start of Wetzel Road's closure.