A Parent's Plea: Save Oakbrook Elementary School

Letter from Susan Young to FFUSD Board of Trustees:

Dear Members of the FSUSD Board: I am writing to you as a concerned parent, PTA officer, and property owner in Cordelia. I understand that during these difficult financial times, unpopular decisions must sometimes be made, but it is my sincere wish that if you *must* close an elementary school that you will find a way to spare Oakbrook.

Some of my biggest concerns are:

* Property values in our neighborhood are depressed as it is - if we have an empty school standing in the middle of our community it will be a cancer that further erodes our property values and the quality of family that will be attracted to our neighborhood

* Oakbrook has had petty crime and vandalism issues over summer/winter breaks and occasionally over weekends. With the reduced police presence in our community, I am very concerned about how these crimes will escalate if the school is standing dark. As it is, we have had hours pass between reporting problems and seeing a police presence - when crime increases how much worse will it be?

* The neighboring schools who might absorb our kids are not prepared to have additional kids -- just drive by Cordelia Hills Elementary one morning and you will understand what I mean. They have recently had a police presence at the school in the morning to help deal with traffic patterns. Adding 200 kids to that campus will only make things more dangerous there

* There is still housing being added to our community - if Oakbrook were closed, how long would it be before our neighboring schools had an overcrowding problem that needed to be addressed?

* As others have doubtless pointed out, we are a very tight knit school, and we value the interpersonal relationships we have developed here. I know without a shadow of a doubt that my two children are known by every single adult at our school, and they are safer for that fact. I rest easier knowing that every adult on that campus knows my kids by name -- if they are just 2 more faces in a sea of 1000 kids I would not have that same peace of mind. I realize that there are a number of moving parts here, and that in the end, a difficult choice may need to be made, but PLEASE consider the words of the parents and community members of Oakbrook Elementary in asking you to spare our school.

Read the Oakbrook PTA letter to the district:

To all concerning the voting and decision making of school closures. This is an outrage. We are the parents of students  at Oakbrook Elementary School. We love the school for many reasons.

1) The atmosphere is a small community and has a family like appeal to it.

2) all sports and cub scouts utilize the school grounds for meetings and are interchangeably involved in fundraising events and PTA.

3) the PTA is outrageously amazing! The unity brought to the community is none words can describe. If there is an issue, it is resolved immediately.

4) Justine Turner is... a fantastic principal, as well as ALL of the teachers and staff.

5) The melting pot of diverse students in background, ethnicity and culture is irreplaceable.

6) The special education program is elite. We watch the care and time and patience each teacher and aid gives each child. We have never seen such dedication at any other school.

7) STAR testing scores are impressive and that is due to the staff and support through the tight-knit community created to ensure that ALL students succeed. We believe that it takes a village to raise a child, we all take care of each other as if they were all our own children! We could elaborate, and we will if necessary. Please consider another option then school closures to fulfill the budget gap. We are not raising children, we are raising adults. The same adults who will be in charge of YOUR future and if their foundation is compromised, then so is your future.