photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

People rally against the closure of elementary schools ahead of the school board meeting at district headquarters on Monday, March 27, 2023.

Organizers with the community group Save Our Schools say they are aggrieved and frustrated with the Lawrence school board’s decision late Monday night to close two elementary schools.

On a split, late-night vote Monday evening, the board approved closing Broken Arrow and Pinckney elementaries ahead of next school year. Between that meeting and the school closure hearings on Saturday, the board heard hours of public comment against the closures, with many expressing concern regarding the effect they will have on disadvantaged students and calling on the board to consider other cuts.

In a statement provided to the Journal-World, Save Our Schools said the group will work to make sure families, teachers and staff are supported through the trauma that will be felt from the closures, which the statement said was not about the buildings but the connections among all who work and go to school there.

“Because this was never about buildings,” the statement reads. “It was always about the connections and support created between those 80+ educators, and those relationships that created a true family of welcome, love, and stability for so many kids and families at Broken Arrow and Pinckney. We will grieve because the vote last night was not to close two buildings, the vote last night was to tear apart two families.”

Proposed boundary changes would divide Broken Arrow’s approximately 220 students among five schools and Pinckney’s approximately 170 students between two schools. About 90 students from three additional elementary schools, Cordley, Deerfield and Hillcrest, will be distributed to other schools to make room for the incoming students.

The statement said SOS was “extremely frustrated” by the closure decisions, which they noted will impact students beyond just the two closed schools. The statement says the decision was especially disheartening because SOS feels there is a lack of plans for students and parents to review regarding safe routes to schools, busing, resources and staffing. SOS also reiterated concerns that the closures are short-sighted given open enrollment legislation that will go into effect in the 2024-2025 school year, which will allow students who live outside of district boundaries to transfer to the Lawrence district.

Regarding still upcoming budget decisions, the group expressed concern about how much of the savings from the closures and teacher cuts will go to benefit teacher and staff wages.

“We full heartedly believe our staff needs to receive a living wage, and our teachers need more compensation,” the statement says. “However, the lack of trust in the district creates skepticism that the cuts to middle school and high school staffing, as well as these school closures, will ensure savings will go to the staff paid the least.”

Though the board has spoken to its commitment to increasing teacher and staff wages, the board has not yet specified how the savings from closures and teacher cuts will be divided among the district’s three budget priorities of increasing pay for teachers and staff, addressing rising costs, and allocating money for the district’s reserve fund. As the Journal-World reported, the local teachers union also plans to push for as much of the savings from the cuts to go to staff wages as possible.

The board’s next meeting will take place April 10, when the board is scheduled to make final determinations about boundary changes.