To the editor:

I am a proud Lawrencian, quick to defend my decision to keep my roots firmly planted here, where I grew up. My paternal grandparents attended elementary in the same school my children have come to love, and my father and I have dedicated portions of our lives to working in the schools here.

I’ll be honest. I don’t know much — only what I’ve observed and done. Fortunately, others have shared the facts for me.

A number of years ago, a bond issue passed, funding school repairs and improvements. Soon after, expensive, state-of-the-art athletic facilities were built for both high schools while other schools continued using trailers for classrooms.

This past fall, my son rushed home, upset. “Mom,” he shouted, “They might close a school! You have to call everyone you know!” He expressed concern for his peers and how their lives would change. How would this affect them? Or him?

It’s interesting that the east-central portion of Lawrence has long been viewed negatively. No matter anyone’s assessment of our quality of life, our residents are not statistics. Our children are not numbers.

Each of our schools is valuable, with farm-to-table programs and butterfly gardens and alternative teaching methods that work. There is too much to lose playing games with our children’s education. There is no financially urgent reason to close or consolidate our schools.

Hard as it is to reduce my thoughts to 250 words articulately, they can be summed thusly: Lawrence simply does not need to close another school.