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Parents and staff urge board to keep Fordham Early Learning Academy in place
Summary
Dozens of parents, teachers and community members told the Marion County School Board on Oct. 14 that moving Fordham Early Learning Academy to Reddick Collier Elementary would disrupt a successful early-education program; the board scheduled a work session on the North End utilization plan for Oct. 16.
Dozens of parents, teachers and community members urged the Marion County School Board on Oct. 14 to preserve Fordham Early Learning Academy at its current location, saying the district proposal to move Fordham’s programs to Reddick Collier Elementary would break a proven early-education program and create transportation and program-access problems for families.
Speakers at the televised meeting described Fordham as a specialized early-learning campus that serves pre-K3 through second grade, with child-accessible facilities, licensed VPK space and programs that parents said raise kindergarten readiness. “Fordham offers education for K‑3. It’s the only school in the district that does it,” said Vicki TreuLieb, identifying herself as a Fordham parent. “To even consider moving this school elsewhere is an asinine idea, especially so that an alternative school could replace it.”
Board members said the topic would be considered further at an upcoming work session. Interim Superintendent Danielle Brewer told the public that the district has prepared an analysis of undercapacity and operating costs for North End schools and that the school-utilization plan will be presented Thursday at 9 a.m.
Why this matters: Commenters said Fordham’s size, facility layout and early‑childhood programming produce measurable benefits for families who choose it. Several speakers said relocating the campus to Reddick — which speakers said is about 13 miles farther north for many families — would be a practical barrier for working parents and could undo gains in early literacy, social‑emotional development and family engagement.
What speakers said: Parents and teachers gave consistent examples of children who improved academically and behaviorally after enrolling at Fordham. “When we first started, school mornings were full of tears. Now my children wake up excited to go to school,” said Tia Thompson, who described driving 30 minutes each way to Fordham. Lincoln and system-level advocates also described Fordham’s campus features — a sensory-friendly playground, trike track and licensed restrooms — as costly and time-consuming to replicate.
Several speakers gave enrollment and program figures cited in the meeting materials: Fordham’s reported enrollment used during the presentation was 238 students, of whom 57 are zoned for northern schools, according to remarks at the meeting. Speakers stressed that many families choose Fordham despite long commutes.
District response and next steps: Brewer reiterated the board requested a district plan this summer addressing undercapacity and operating costs; she said the administration has convened operations, facilities, transportation, business services and academic staff to produce recommendations. The board scheduled discussion of the North End utilization plan for Oct. 16; Brewer asked the public to attend that work session.
Ending: Board members and staff encouraged continued community input ahead of Thursday’s work session. The district will present its utilization analysis and options at the work session; no formal board decision on Fordham was recorded at the Oct. 14 meeting.
