NEENAH (NBC 26) — Parents of students attending Hoover Elementary School are hoping to have the final say—even after the school district voted to shut it down at the end of the school year.
- Parents and children gathered in downtown Neenah to rally for the reversal of the decision to close down Hoover Elementary
- The community is hoping for a re-vote in April after three new education board members are sworn in
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
Last month, the Neenah Joint School District Board voted to shut down Hoover Elementary. The district said it is part of a plan to change school boundaries that would save money and better distribute students and resources.
Both before and after the decision, parents have been sharing concerns about class sizes and where their kids will go to school next.
Liz Rosenow, a Neenah mother, organized a community rally for parents—and children—to voice their frustrations.
“In a room full of parents and children and teachers all crying their eyes out begging them not to close their school and they acted like we weren’t human beings with feelings either," Rosenow recounted.
Rosenow was joined by fellow Hoover parents at the intersection of Commercial St. and Main St. in Neenah. They held up homemade signs, passed out flyers, and made sure their voices were heard.
All of their voices.
Chris B. is a Hoover Elementary mother and a woman of color. She says by shutting down Hoover, they’re shutting out minorities.
A key part of what makes their community special.
“Hoover is the one school in the district that has, on the elementary level, the most diversity out of all the other schools," Chris pointed out. "You can find, at least, 3 to 4 different races automatically when you, you know, drive past the playground. That’s what Hoover is.”
But perhaps the most important question is how are the children taking it
One boy named Porter decided to speak on behalf of his schoolmates.
“Don’t close my school. You see what this says? Save. Our. School.”
NBC 26 has reached out to the Neenah Joint School District Board. President Brian Epley responded to our request but declined to comment on the rally. We also contacted other members of the board, but have not received a response.
