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Families and staff urge board to keep Whitewood 5th grade and full-time principal
Summary
Dozens of parents, staff and community leaders spoke during open forum urging the board not to move Whitewoods 5th grade or reassign Principal Porterfield; staff warned removing the position would damage student supports and could drive enrollment declines.
At the start of open forum, multiple speakers made detailed appeals on behalf of Whitewood Elementary, which the superintendent had proposed to reconfigure. Katie Rave, who identified herself as Whitewood Chamber president, said the districts proposed $69,000 savings would not justify the long-term loss, arguing Whitewood is the districts best-performing elementary.
"The minute you take away 5th grade, what happens? You drop it down to a population less than 100," Rave said, warning that redistricting rules and state statutes could trigger additional long-term losses if the district removes the 5th grade. Several speakers echoed that concern, offering numbers on home sales and demographic trends to argue Whitewood is a growth area.
Staff members delivered a unified message. Allison Zacher, a 4th-grade teacher at Whitewood, read a staff letter stating the schools current configuration and a full-time principal provide stability and developmentally appropriate settings for 5th graders. "Removing 5th grade from our school and pushing those students into an already overcrowded Sturgis 5th grade classroom is not sustainable or student-focused," Zacher read.
Other speakers — including parents, past students, and local business leaders (Ryan Aldrin, Matt Weiland, Casey Pitts, and others) — recounted personal and community impacts, asserted that principal Porterfield is integral to school culture, and said they would consider removing children from the district if changes occur. The board thanked speakers and pledged to use the Oct. 28 meeting to solicit more detailed, itemized feedback.
