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Lakewood residents urge board to keep seven neighborhood elementary schools open as task force deliberates
Summary
Hundreds of residents told the Lakewood Board of Education they value walkable neighborhood schools and urged the board not to close or repurpose elementary buildings while a facilities task force completes its work.
Hundreds of residents and several board members pressing the Lakewood Board of Education on April 7 called for preserving the district's seven neighborhood elementary schools as a facilities task force reviews options to address enrollment and budget pressures.
The public-comment period filled with speakers who cited walkability, the social-emotional impacts on students and the district's recent $100 million investment in three rebuilt elementary buildings as reasons to avoid closures. "Families choose Lakewood for a reason. For many families, that reason is walkability," said Amanda Kyber, a Virginia Avenue resident. "We should be fighting to protect it even when doing so comes at a cost."
Why this matters: The elementary facilities task force has been meeting since last August to consider scenarios about building use, capacity and program…
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