Has anyone battled a potential school closure and won? I need ideas!

[zag95]

DD is in K, and her historic elementary school is on the chopping block for closure. Apparently #1 reason is that it is "too expensive" to seismically upgrade (nevermind that they have deferred this for years! It was built in 1935 and is brick!)

Any tips on fighting school closures??? Our PTO is working hard to engage our school community to attend upcoming board meeting. What else should we do?

Rally
Media coverage
Pass out flyers in neighborhood??


Thanks for any ideas!

[MamaMolly]

Not being snarky in the least, but why would you want to save it? With a building that old I'd bet there is lead paint, asbestos, all kinds of nasty stuff lurking not just the seismic deficencies that would need upgrading.

[wellyes]

Convince the people who make the decision and get your neighbors to voice their opinions too. Don't make them the bad guys (us vs. them) except as a last resort.

What form of government does your town have? Here in MA, most decisions like that go through town meeting, so citizens vote. In other towns it is a matter of an executive. That makes a difference in how you approach.

[JBaxter]

This is what I was going to say. Upgrading sprinkler sysptems lead/mold remedition updating water/ bathrooms heat/ cooling effency are just a few things off the top of my head. The look of a brick building may be great but making it safe & efficient may be something totally different.
Not being snarky in the least, but why would you want to save it? With a building that old I'd bet there is lead paint, asbestos, all kinds of nasty stuff lurking not just the seismic deficencies that would need upgrading.

[Ceepa]

Where we used to live there was an elementary school very much as you described. They closed it for a couple of years while they tore most of it down. When they rebuilt it they had preserved one of the large original brick walls inside so it was the backdrop to the main hallway and stairwell. Other original details were also preserved and displayed. They kept the overall look of the school in line with the neighborhood. The students and staff had a new, safe, upgraded school with some historic pieces retained. Everyone loved it.

Do they intend to rebuild? What will they do with the students in the meantime? I would ask more questions about the plan rather than simply trying to halt it.

[kara97210]

I would ask more questions about the plan rather than simply trying to halt it.

:yeahthat:

I think keeping it as unemotional as possible is important for your cause.

I’d also do a lot of research as into why the decision was made and try to address those points directly. Can you counter with why the building should be saved? Do you know how much a seismic update would cost? Is one required to get the building to code? Are there other buildings that were chosen for upgrade when this one was not? Could the PTA help raise money to offset the cost of a retrofit?

I don’t think the fact that the retrofits should have happened years ago is a good argument to keep a building that may be dangerous open. Can you show that the building continues to be safe to use? I think a report from a reputable engineering firm could go far here. Otherwise I think you could get media coverage from a rally, but not actually get you closer to your goal of keeping the school open.

[kara97210]

I also wanted to add that I live in a city where several older schools have been closed because of earthquake concerns and lower enrollment. I know parents of those schools have been upset by the decision, but I’ve never seen the school district reverse a decision due to rallies or media coverage. I know in one case parents sued to keep a school open, but didn’t win. At the time the district argued that if there was a major earthquake, they would be open to lawsuits because they knew the building could not withstand an earthquake. So just keeping the building might not be an option.

[crl]

I will echo the previous posters and ask is it just the building you are trying to save or are they breaking the students up and sending them to different schools?

If it is just the building, I would think your best odds of success would be to find the necessary funds for them. Grants, donations, etc.

If they are closing the school and sending the kids to different schools, I would think about things like whether other schools would be overcrowded as a result, whether the demographics are swinging and enrollment at your school is likely to go up soon, how much it would cost to build a new building. . . . Then target your efforts accordingly.

I will say that I would not want my children attending a school that has not been seismically retrofitted or is otherwise unsafe. So I personally would not fight to keep the building unless it can be made safe.

Catherine

[fivi2]

This almost happened to a few local schools before we started kindergarten. It was during legislative session, so some differences.

I wasn't involved but I know the parents attended school board meetings (wearing school colors),started online petitions (be careful in case you dont get much co.munity support)

Eta because kindle is crazy right now. These schools got a lot of community support. Media was on their side. The plans changed and all stayed open. The plan involved shutting down the schools and transferring kids which I think was a big reason it was unpopular. And some of the schools had a lot of tradition. None of the buildings were unsafe - just more expensive to maintain. Sorry no real suggestions as I wasn't involved other than as a community member. But having fact based reason s why it would hurt the community seemed to help.

Eta - reread your post. Retrofitting /seismic concerns aren't an issue here. That seems like a big hurdle to overcome. Good luck!

[zag95]

Thanks for the feedback.

2 varying engineering reports- state report says it has some fixable issues; district reports says safety hazard (along with 6 other schools- all deemed "high risk"). It is my understanding that other things- asbestos, etc have been removed/addressed. Parents of other school painted our school as unsafe- in undesireable neighborhood, etc. Which is wrong. lots of emotions and backstabbing approaches taken. Just feeling really sad, especially when they could have made the decision to do this last year.

Our school would be broken up and kids bussed elsewhere, including possibly to the community which blighted ours.

[AnnieW625]

Not being snarky in the least, but why would you want to save it? With a building that old I'd bet there is lead paint, asbestos, all kinds of nasty stuff lurking not just the seismic deficencies that would need upgrading.

:yeahthat: I completely agree especially if you are in an earthquake prone area.