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Teacher shares students—oncerns about Maple Elementary closure at Harlem UD 122 meeting
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Summary
At the March 25 board meeting, a teacher read students—omments expressing sadness and worry about Maple Elementary—losing and asked the board to share more information about the building and playground; students said they feared losing friends and the neighborhood play space.
A teacher who addressed the Harlem UD 122 board on March 25 read a series of notes from Maple Elementary students saying they felt "upset" and "bummed out" about the school's closure and wanted more information about what will happen to the Maple building and its playground.
The commenter told the board she had promised the students she would pass along their concerns and asked that the district provide the community details on the future of both the Maple building and Olson following the closure. The notes she read said children worried about being separated from friends, losing access to the playground and feeling unsettled by the change.
Board members acknowledged the comments and said they would share information they gathered from recent meetings with state representatives and other stakeholders. Superintendent Teron Yarbrough (as introduced earlier in the meeting) summarized that staff would distribute details about what the district has learned and next steps to both board members and the community.
Why it matters: parents and students are directly affected by school closures; the commenter asked specifically for clarity about building use and neighborhood amenities, concerns that can influence transition plans and community response.
The meeting moved on after the public comment period; the board later approved routine financial and contracting items and recessed into executive session to discuss personnel.
