Stillwater School Board Votes To Close 3 Elementary Schools
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – After meeting for more than five hours, the Stillwater School District voted to close three elementary schools.
The schools are in Hugo, Marine on St. Croix and Stillwater. Board members said enrollment there is down while demand in the southern part of the district is growing.
Hundreds of parents, teachers and students packed Stillwater Junior High for Thursday night's meeting.
More than 50 people spoke out at the meeting. Opponents said they were duped to believe a $97 million bond that they voted for would keep schools open, not close them.
There were a handful of people in favor of the plan.
"I think we are at a time that we are tired of these cuts," one parent said. "We have been fighting cuts after cuts after passing a bond after passing a levy. We need long term sustainability. I believe that."
"We're devastated. As a community, we're devastated that we put in all this work and had materials that really refuted a lot of the things that the administrative group said that was viable. We just asked for more time, we just asked to be listened to, and as a community that wasn't done," another parent said.
The superintendent and district leaders said the closures will help to better meet the learning needs of all students.
The changes will go into effect in the 2017-2018 school year.
Parents said they do not plan to back down. There are at least two lawsuits to keep the schools open.
