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Parents, teachers and students urge Longview School District to save outdoor‑school program after loss of state funding
Summary
Multiple parents, teachers and student counselors told the Longview School District board on Aug. 25 that state funding for the district’s outdoor‑school program was lost and urged district leaders to pursue fundraising, scholarships and a districtwide account to preserve the experience.
Multiple parents, teachers and former student counselors urged the Longview School District Board of Directors on Aug. 25 to act quickly after losing state funding for the district’s outdoor‑school program, which speakers said provides transformative, hands‑on learning and social skills for fifth graders and older students.
Elizabeth Hadlock, a parent and fifth‑grade teacher, told the board she was "deeply disheartened to hear about the loss of state funding for outdoor school," and said the program had produced "life changing experiences" for hundreds of students. She urged the board to begin problem‑solving immediately so the opportunity is not lost.
Several other speakers — including Lindsay Oliver (teacher and parent), Josie Elam (teacher), Janet Burns (parent), Kenzie Cole (PTO volunteer and parent) and Carson Wagner (recent Mark Morris High School graduate and long‑time counselor) — described the program’s educational benefits and suggested practical alternatives so individual schools could still participate if districtwide funding is unavailable.
"Equity should not mean lowering the bar so everyone has less," Lindsay Oliver said, urging the board to consider fundraising, scholarships and school‑level partnerships rather than canceling the experience for all students. Josie Elam proposed creating a district‑level team and a dedicated account overseen by community members and staff; she suggested PTO contributions, grants and local business partnerships and mentioned a past practice of requesting $75 from families with scholarships for those who could not afford it.
Janet Burns asked the district to improve communication about the funding loss, saying many parents were only learning about it after months and that families need clear, district‑level notices in multiple formats. Several public commenters offered to organize fundraisers or accept donations to help sustain the program.
Board members acknowledged the comments and said they would consider the suggestions. The public comment period concluded without an immediate decision to restore district funding; the board moved on to adopt the district's 2025–26 budget later in the meeting. The board did not record a formal vote on restoring outdoor‑school funding during the Aug. 25 meeting.
