As a parent with children in Newberry's public schools, I am deeply concerned about the proposed Newberry Education First initiative. This plan threatens to turn our public schools into charter institutions, leaving no option for traditional public education. My son, who has special needs and already struggles with feelings of inadequacy and depression, may not be accepted into these charter schools. There are many families in our community facing similar fears.

The initiative proposes shrinking class sizes which raises another concern - where will displaced students go without a public schooling option? According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), as of 2017-18 there were 50.8 million students attending public elementary and secondary schools. If we apply this trend locally, it is clear that many students could potentially be left without an educational home.

We do not oppose the idea of building additional schools specifically designed for charter use; however, occupying our current public schools is not an acceptable solution. We believe in preserving quality education for all children regardless of their abilities or circumstances.

We urge you to consider these concerns seriously and put a stop to the Newberry Education First initiative as it currently stands. Please join us in protecting our children's right to accessible and inclusive education by signing this petition today.

Please join us on our FB page, Fight for Equal Educational Rights in Alachua County.