Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Editor, Times-Union:
I am a parent of a fifth-grader at Claypool Elementary, Warsaw Community Schools. I’m writing this letter because I’ve been very unsettled with an article that was in the news a few weeks back dealing with the decline of students at Claypool.
I feel this article was not painting a clear picture of what is honestly happening. While it portrayed a decline in student enrollment at Claypool, the truth is that our staff members have already been confronted with their fate and a possible closure is on the brink. I say “our” because these staff members have been my family’s home away from home for the past six years. At Claypool elementary we are a family. In my conversation with leadership for our schools recently I was told to “take out the emotion.” I am sorry to say but when you are dealing with family that’s all there is. I will not take out emotion when I am dealing, discussing and fighting for my child and people I consider family.
When we moved to the Claypool community nine years ago I wasn’t real keen on my child being part of such a large school system. However, in getting to know the neighbors, attending the local church and becoming friends with several community members, I was assured that Claypool was a great school. And boy has it ever been! It is small and very supported by the community. I am active on the school’s PTO and I’ve been involved with school systemwide PTO meetings. At Claypool we don’t have the struggles other schools do because our community and our families have our back.
Which brings me to my next point. Warsaw Community Schools have seven elementaries to my knowledge. Several of them are very full. They all have double the number of students that we do at Claypool. Why wouldn’t it be more of a success to spread all those children out and make smaller classrooms, more one-on-one services for them all? Instead our school system is considering to close our most southern school, which would mean some 5-year-old children riding a school bus for well over 30-40 minutes, when considering the stopping and starting. Why can’t the district lines be redrawn for our elementary schools?
In closing, I’m going to say that I’ve had the hard conversation with my son about the school where he has spent his elementary years potentially closing. I watched his face sink as I explained that for his final year of grade school he’d possibly be going somewhere much larger and unfamiliar. When he asked why I was honest. I told him the school only has around 200 kids attending. His response, “Why does that matter?” Why does it matter? Why are we potentially closing this beautiful building? Why would we put more hardship on families to get their children further? Surely there’s a better solution.
Beth Stephens
Claypool, via email
