Little Falls board votes to close Dr. S. G. Knight Elementary, effective July 1

The Little Falls School Board voted June 30 to close Dr. S. G. Knight Elementary School in Randall, Minnesota, effective July 1, 2025, citing declining enrollment and an estimated $1,100,000 in annual cost savings.

Board member Kelsey Herzog introduced the resolution and presented findings the board said supported the decision. The resolution states that after public hearing and review, “closing the Dr. S. G. Knight Elementary School building … is both necessary and practical,” and that the district will “achieve substantial cost savings of approximately $1,100,000 to offset decreased funding due to declining enrollment.”

The vote followed public comment from parents and staff who said the board’s timeline and prior communications left students and families with little time to prepare. Nicole Linkert, a parent of two young children at Dr. Knight, described emotional and practical impacts on her family and said, “They didn’t get a chance to say goodbye.” She said grade-level changes and prior “banding” decisions have already moved some children between multiple schools in recent years and that families are scrambling to rearrange work, childcare and transportation plans.

Sarah Westland, who identified herself as a district employee and a parent, told the board she supports the district’s work and urged viewers to recognize that difficult choices are sometimes necessary: “I support this district, and I have seen and continue to see the good that it does.” Another commenter, Sarah Pullman, said she was not firmly for or against the closure but urged the board to show “the willingness and courage to make the tough, sometimes unpopular decisions to demonstrate financial responsibility.”

The resolution cites the board’s consideration of operating costs of the Randall site, enrollment trends, capacity at other district buildings and public input gathered at a June 23 public hearing and through other communications. The board’s written finding says the remaining Little Falls sites have sufficient space to accommodate students transferred from Dr. Knight and that retaining the Randall site is not needed for district educational purposes.

At roll call the board recorded these votes on the closure resolution: Julie — yes; Sharon Baloo — no; Dan — yes; Mark — yes; Doug — yes; Kelsey Herzog — yes. The motion passed by a majority vote.

The board did not specify student relocation assignments or the number of students who will transfer; district staff said the Little Falls sites have available capacity but did not provide a student-impact count at the meeting. The board directed administrators to proceed with the closure timeline and with transfers to other district buildings.

The decision drew repeated comments from community members at the meeting and prompted several board members to note the emotional nature of the discussion. Board members who voted for the resolution said the move was required to avoid statutory operating debt and to preserve resources for classroom instruction across the district.

Next steps listed at the meeting include finalizing student placement and communicating transition information to families; the district said more details would be provided to affected families before the start of the next school year.