Parents urge Union Board for clear commitment to Anderson Elementary's future and smaller elementary class sizes

During public comment at the Union Board meeting, David Young and Marlena Young spoke as Union parents about the future of Anderson Elementary and district class-size concerns.

David Young said he appreciated a recent letter from district leadership that stated Anderson Elementary is not closing, but he urged the board to follow words with visible, long-term commitments. "If Anderson is not closing and remains part of Union's long range plan, then investment should reflect that," he said, asking for strategic investments in HVAC, air quality, safety, playground shade, traffic flow and inclusion of Anderson improvements in the 2027 bond package. Young also requested clearer timelines, sharing of HVAC review findings and more substantive involvement of Anderson parents and teachers before major long-range decisions are made.

Marlena Young described excessive class sizes in early grades and said her first grader's attendance and morale have suffered. She cited Oklahoma Administrative Code guidance on student–teacher ratios for grades one through six and said classroom assignments in her child's grade felt overcrowded, describing a situation with more than 50 students and two full-time staff in a grade-level cohort. "Because of budget constraints and because it being a district wide issue, their hands are tied," she said of staff responses, adding that hope alone is not sufficient for families.

Board members listened but did not take immediate action during the public comment period. The meeting record shows the board adjourned after the public comment segment; no vote on facility investments or class-size remedies was taken at this meeting.

Parents requested follow-up communications and inclusion of Anderson infrastructure needs in future bond planning; district staff did not announce any immediate operational changes at the meeting.