PORT ANGELES — Monroe Elementary School parents reaffirmed Tuesday that they will continue to fight the School Board’s proposal to close their children’s school.
“This is just the beginning,” said Monroe parent Mark Thomas as he carried a picket sign outside the Port Angeles School District administration building Tuesday afternoon.
“We will become more vocal. Closing a school is not acceptable.”
About 85 people attended the first of two public hearings on the school closure issue at Jefferson Elementary School on Tuesday evening.
Parents say they have collected about 900 signatures from community members asking the board to keep all schools open.
The School Board voted 4-1 last month to trigger a 90-day legal process to close Monroe School to avoid a projected $300,000 budget deficit forecast for the 2004-05 school year.
Cindy Kelly was the only board member to vote against the closure process.
School Board members say the district cannot afford to operate six small elementary schools in the face of current and projected enrollment declines.
But parents say cutting the number of district administrators and asking for voter support through an increased maintenance and operations tax levy could prevent any school from closing.
“If we need to pass the hat to get the ox out of the ditch, let’s do it,” Thomas said.
Following public comments from dozens of parents and community members, School Board President Charlie McClain thanked them for the input.
“We as a board still have a lot of things to consider,” McClain said.