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Parents urge board to spare Ephesus and protect neighborhood schools
Summary
Several parents and community members urged the board not to close Ephesus Elementary (and asked for preservation of integrated programs at Glenwood and Sewell), citing drive‑zone growth, high projected utilization, equity impacts, and alternatives to closures.
Multiple parents and community members spoke during public comment urging the board to reconsider closing neighborhood elementary schools, especially Ephesus Elementary.
Speakers — including Chris Esposito, Hannah Wilson, Mallory Turner Lowers, Jackie Bangma and Miriam Viberg — pointed to recent demography reports and local data showing Ephesus has high projected enrollment growth, the highest share of young children within its drive zone, strong walkability and higher proportions of nonwhite and low‑vehicle households. They argued closure would disproportionately affect students with transportation barriers and students with exceptional needs, and asked the board to exhaust internal cost‑saving options (for example, central‑office consolidation and ending a leased satellite office) before closing a school.
Board members and staff acknowledged the need to use data and objective criteria, and the district noted it will combine the demography forecast with program‑capacity analyses and redistricting work to reach decisions.
Why it matters: Facility and closure decisions reshape neighborhood access to schooling, transportation burdens and program continuity for students with special needs. Parents said closing a walkable, diverse school would undermine equity goals.
Next steps: The district will continue to analyze enrollment, program capacity and finance options; public commenters were encouraged to submit written comments and the board and staff will hold follow-up community meetings.
