Dear Superintendent Dr. Barnes and Elected Lakewood City School Board,

Enough is enough. As parents and citizens of Lakewood, we strongly urge you to reopen schools using the original reopening model, which classified orange and red as a hybrid return.

The current decision to stay remote is a disservice to the students of Lakewood.  It broadens the disparity, in an already diverse community, of educational access in Lakewood. This is not sustainable for Lakewood families. We are a community with single parents, children with special needs, parents working outside of the home and a variety of other situations, often forcing children to stay at home without supervision. Children are more vulnerable and at greater risk of abuse, depression and suicide when schools are physically closed.

1. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends for students to be in school in person. The article concludes that well into the pandemic accumulating evidence and collective experience argue that children, particularly school aged children, are far less important drivers of SARS-CoV-2 transmission than adults.

2.  In July of 2020, the CDC released a long article regarding the importance of re-opening schools. "Aside from a child's home, no other setting has more influence on a child's health and well-being than their school." Evidence continues to show that it is important for kids to be in school and indiscriminately harmful when they are not.  Disparities in educational outcomes caused by school closure are a particular concern for low income and minority students and students with disabilities.

3.  The majority of other schools both public and private in the surrounding area have successfully returned to in-person schooling following various models and safety protocols.  The protocols and small class sizes implemented during the hybrid option allow for Lakewood students to return in a safe manner. Given the extensive remote option that is available, families that are not comfortable or cannot return are able to continue in the virtual option.   Lakewood has been in the remote learning for a particularly long time in comparison with a lot of these schools.  By continuing with a district wide closure, Lakewood is choosing to put our children’s education in jeopardy and negatively impacting our families compared to surrounding districts and is violating our right to a Free and Appropriate, Public Education (FAPE).

The citizens of Lakewood depend on you to make a decision that supports our children and families based on factors specific to Lakewood.  Despite the wonderful teachers and their tireless efforts, this format is not sustainable in the long term. The teachers, principals and staff have been doing an excellent job preparing our schools to reopen under the hybrid model.   It is now time for our families to have a CHOICE to return our kids to the classroom if they choose.

REOPEN OUR SCHOOLS!