Letter to Whittier families

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Dear Whittier Elementary families,

Following the outcome of the November 6th vote, our District has been challenged with very difficult decisions regarding making the necessary reductions to balance the budget. That includes closure of two of our four smallest elementary school buildings. It is with a heavy heart that I write this letter. It will be my recommendation to the Board of Education on Thursday, November 29th that Whittier Elementary be closed at the conclusion of the 2007-08 school year.

My decision was an arduous one, at best. After researching transportation costs, building costs, enrollment data, air quality and other important and pertinent factors of each of the four proposed buildings, I then took that information into consideration before making a decision.

Please know this information will not be shared with the public until Thursday's meeting. I, first, wanted to extend the courtesy to our affected families to help soften the impact. I know this will, undoubtedly, impact your family in many ways. We intend to hold school closure hearings as well as host transitional meetings, helping our students and their families in making the move to their new school, wherever that will be. I know you will have many questions and I want you to know we will do our best to address each and every one of those inquiries in a timely fashion. But I ask you to be patient with us as we work through the details surrounding these decisions.*

You should be proud of your school and the tremendous sense of community that comes along with being part of a neighborhood school. You have served as an incredible role model to your children of what responsibility looks like.

Thank you for your dedication. Thank you for your compassion. And thank you for entrusting your children's education to our District. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to call, e-mail or visit the District Office.

Respectfully yours,

Jerry Walseth

Superintendent of Schools

Independent School District 181

*Please share this news with your child tonight, as your child's teacher will be sharing this news with their students sometime on Thursday.