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Residents urge council to oppose potential Neil Armstrong Elementary closure
Summary
Two Diamond Bar residents urged the council during public comment to oppose plans that could close Neil Armstrong Elementary, warning that the city is landlocked and that closed school property often becomes housing; commenters asked the council to pursue options to retain the campus for education.
During public comments at the Feb. 17 meeting, Claudia Washington and Willie Mae Harris urged the council to oppose a possible closure of Neil Armstrong Elementary and to press the school district for alternatives.
Claudia Washington said the community has been informed Neil Armstrong may close by the end of the 2026-27 school year and warned that Diamond Bar has limited developable land: "If Neil Armstrong closed, there would only be two elementary schools left in the city of Diamond Bar," she said, urging the council to explore options such as magnet programming to recruit students.
Willie Mae Harris said she opposed the proposal and described three reasons the district gave (low enrollment, immigration enforcement impacts, and high local housing costs), saying those factors do not justify losing a neighborhood school. Harris said residents fear closed schools are later converted into apartments or surplus property. Both callers asked the council to consider measures to retain the site for education and to press the district for clear plans.
These remarks were part of the public-comment period; the council did not take formal action on the school during the meeting. City staff noted the comment and closed public comments for the evening.
