Today is a very critical milestone in the fight to keep Lewisboro Elementary School open. It is the first vote by the Katonah-Lewisboro Board of Education to move the school closure to the next phase. Although the official vote is not until January 23rd, this vote is a key indicator. If it passes tonight, it will move to an official vote in January.
There are over 950 individuals that already signed the petition but we still need more. The BOE keeps referring to a small group of parents that are against the closing, but 950 is not small. The petition only asks for more time to ensure the decision makes sense and is not rushed.
Key reasons why we need more time include:
1) The demographic projections used in their analysis do not consider the recent rise in home sales, or the natural cyclical manner in which this school district's population changes. This could result in us having crowded schools or needing to reopen one in a few years. It is very clear from historical data that we have seen peaks and valleys multiple times since the 1960s.
2) The updated redistricting report that was posted on the Board of Education's website last night indicates the schools will be very tight for the next year or so (using what many believe is an insufficient demographic analysis that assumes a large even trend of declining enrollment). It also still does not divide neighborhoods into clean boundaries. Waiting a year will give us more options since the current 4th grade class is large.
3) There has been a deliberate lack of consideration for the impact to local home property values and to the South Salem community when we no longer have a local elementary school. The Board of Education considers this impact outside its responsibility. There are numerous studies that show there is a substantial loss in property values for homes near a school.
4) Taxes will not be lowered. The Board of Education has stated this very clearly. However, we do not know where the money will be spent and have never been able to discuss trade-offs.
5) Financially, the district is in good shape right now. In fact, the Superintendent has stated we don't need the money. Although it has been asked many times, there is no clarity around what if any programs or services will be cut, or if they will be unable to implement full-day Kindergarten, if they do not close a school this year.
6) Educational impact is not understood. There is little benefit to consolidating - bigger classes will make the district even less attractive. In addition, rushing the closing with Common Core just underway is both impractical and not in the best interests of our children and our teachers.
So - why is the Board of Education rushing to close Lewisboro Elementary School? Yes, there is a cost savings - but at what price? Is this a beneficial strategy for this community? We need time to understand this and time to ensure a transition, if it were to happen, is done with proper forethought and planning.
Please sign the petition and write a letter TODAY to the BOE. We have provided a template below to make it easy for you - but feel free to use your own words. Please share this post with your local friends, family and neighbors.
Together, we can make our voices heard - for the children and for the community.
--
To: governance_team@klschools.org
I have signed a petition to slow down the process of closing Lewisboro Elementary School as I feel we need more time to adequately evaluate the impact this decision has on our children, their education, and our community. I ask the BOE to 1) Suspend the current SCTF process and 2) Establish a new process & timeline that properly, fully and inclusively (of our community) addresses all relevant issues.
Please consider my input and the input over the over 950 people that signed this petition.
Sincerely,
(Your Name)
--
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
http://www.saveKLschools.org
http://chn.ge/19xKSfA
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Saveklschools
http://www.youtube.com/user/saveKLschools
https://twitter.com/saveklschools
