THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW! By signing this petition, we stand in support of keeping Carlock Elementary School open. We urge Unit 5 leadership and the Board of Education to stop any effort to close Carlock before lasting harm is done.

Once this decision is made, the damage to our students, families and the Village of Carlock cannot easily be undone. Carlock is not just a school, it is the heart of a rural community and a thriving elementary school. Closing it would not simply relocate students; it would fundamentally alter the fabric of the town, impacting families, local businesses, property values, and the identity of this community.

Extensive research on rural school closures consistently shows that these decisions do not deliver the financial savings districts expect and do not improve student outcomes. In many cases, closures create new costs, strain receiving schools, and negatively affect students socially, emotionally, and academically. These findings have been shared with district leadership, yet they have not been meaningfully addressed.

Our district prides itself on being innovative and research-driven. We rely on research when adopting new curriculum, implementing social-emotional supports, and advancing equity and inclusion. Yet when it comes to rural education, the research we have provided has been dismissed or ignored.

We have also presented substantial district-specific data, carefully reviewed and compiled, that challenges the assumptions being used to justify closing Carlock. This includes concerns about cost-per-student calculations, enrollment trends, and long-term impacts. To date, this data has not been fully acknowledged or transparently addressed.

Equally concerning is the lack of meaningful engagement with constituents. Families, community members, and stakeholders have repeatedly voiced their concerns, shared research, and asked critical questions, only to feel unheard in a process that appears predetermined.

Just two years ago, the Unit 5 community supported a tax referendum based on the promise that every student and every school matters. Carlock was included in that promise. Closing this school now contradicts the trust voters placed in district leadership.

Carlock Elementary is a high-achieving, deeply connected school that already provides strong outcomes for students. The bar for closing any school should be extraordinarily high, and that standard has not been met.

We urge the Board of Education to:

• Fully consider the extensive research on rural school closures
• Transparently respond to the data and concerns provided by the community
• Honor the commitments made during the referendum
• Engage in a genuine, inclusive decision-making process
• Keep Carlock Elementary open

Our students, families, and community deserve decisions grounded in data, research and integrity.

If you sign this petition, please also take a minute to email the board members and superintendent, Dr. Weikle, stating your support of keeping Carlock Elementary open. 

Dr. Weikle - weiklek@unit5.org

Alex Williams - williamsa@unit5.org  

Stan Gozur - gozurs@unit5.org

Mark Adams II - adamsm@unit5.org

Kentrica Coleman - colemank@unit5.org

Patrick Mainieri - mainierip@unit5.org 

Kelly Pyle - pylek@unit5.org

Amy Roser - rosera@unit5.org