It seems that eight schools in Jefferson County are headed for the chopping block if parents can't convince administrators to find other ways to grapple with millions of dollars in budget cuts in coming years. A committee recommended that O'Connell, Arvada, and Ken Caryl middle schools be shuttered, along with Pleasant View, Pennington, Martensen, Zerger, and Fitzmorris elementary schools (via 7News). "We wish we weren't doing this; we wish we didn't have to do this," says school board President Dave Thomas (right), adding that JeffCo's school board "will take very serious consideration" of the recommendations (via INDenverTimes, which has a handy summary of the list). If the closures take place, they'll affect more than just parents, students, and teachers. "It trickles down to everybody," Pennington Elementary PTA President Michelle Collier tells 9News. "If the school closes down and it deteriorates a neighborhood, their value of their houses is going to go down."