Parents tell board delay on school-closure decision erodes trust; ask for timeline

Several parents and community members used the public-comment period to urge clearer communication from the Lakewood Board of Education about a possible closure or repurposing of one or more neighborhood elementary schools.

Kelli Moyer, a parent who said she lives on Lakeland Avenue, told the board she was "deeply concerned about the ongoing delays in the process." Moyer said a decision originally promised for May 2025 was pushed to September and that the task force that studied the issue had not been reconvened. "We haven't even heard the report that was the outcome of the task force's tireless months of work," she said.

Allison Gall, a parent and former teacher who said she lives on Ethel Avenue, likewise asked for transparency and regular updates, saying the uncertainty is "detrimental to relationships with and among parents, students and your teachers and staff." Gall asked for a clear updated timeline, a summary of what the task force already discussed, and a clear explanation of how the finalized state budget is expected to affect the district and the decision.

Gabriel Cooper, who identified Sloan Avenue as his street, called on the board to present a contingency plan in the face of legislative changes he described as an existential threat to public education. Cooper asked the board to engage in visible deliberation about long-term strategy rather than only voting in roll calls.

Speakers repeatedly asked for at minimum regular updates even when there is "no news" to report and for the district to release the task force’s findings. Board members did not provide a new timeline during the meeting; the speakers’ concerns were confined to the public-comment portion of the agenda and did not trigger immediate board action during the session.