NEWPORT, Minn. — Teachers and families in Newport, Minnesota are trying to keep their school — Newport Elementary — from permanently closing.
Holding a photograph from 1932, Angela Geraghty said her grandfather went to Newport and later became the mayor. She and her siblings also attended the school. And on Thursday, her daughter, Maggie, finished first grade.
While Maggie says she enjoys Newport because of the friendships she's made since pre-K, parent Trevor Morris says he values the education his son has received.
"At his last school, he wasn't doing so well," Morris said. "Since he came here, he's been doing an excellent job."
South Washington County Schools is proposing to close Newport in 2025 and send its students to three separate elementary schools. For Maggie, that would mean moving to a new building just for fifth grade and then moving again for 6th grade; the start of middle school.
"She's in tears and (says), 'I don't want them to close my school,'" Geraghty said of the time she and her daughter first discussed the possible closure.
Thursday, dozens of parents met at the school to make signs and decorate their cars before driving off to the district's headquarters ahead of a scheduled school board meeting.
South Washington County Schools released the following statement:
We know that the closure of a school deeply impacts those who have dedicated their time and support to their community school. Pending school board approval, Newport Elementary will be transformed into an early learning center no earlier than 2025 and is one piece of a comprehensive 10-year facility package that seeks to address community growth and student needs in SoWashCo Schools. As we approach 2025, we will create a team that includes parents, staff and community members to help provide a smooth transition.
Additionally, we are confident that the three elementary schools that will serve Newport students in 2025 are fully capable of creating a welcoming environment and lasting relationships with our students.
As some teachers and parents point out, many Newport families are lower-income. Also, more than half of students are students of color, which Geraghty says her family values. Title I funds are used to operate the school.
"Why is Newport kind of picked on? Is it because we are the lower income community and is that why we're always having to defend keeping our school? It feels like sometimes we kind of get lost in the shuffle with our bigger neighbors that have more growth," Geraghty said, adding that the school has faced possible closure several times over the years.
The school board is set to vote Thursday, April 21. If approved, the building would become an early learning center serving kids 2 and under.
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