Logan Avenue Elementary School has long stood as a pillar of education and community spirit in our neighborhood. For decades, this institution has educated generations of Emporia children, offering a nurturing environment where students from all walks of life receive a quality education. The recent proposal to close Logan Avenue Elementary threatens not only the future of our children but also the social fabric of our community.

Logan Avenue Elementary serves one of the most economically vulnerable student populations in the district. Along with William Allen White Elementary, Logan Avenue has some of the highest rates of students receiving free and reduced-price lunches in the entire USD 253 district. These students and their families depend heavily on neighborhood schools that are accessible, stable, and deeply connected to the community.

Countless students walk to Logan Avenue Elementary every day. Children from Eastgate and surrounding apartment complexes rely on the school’s proximity because many families do not have consistent access to transportation and USD253 doesn’t offer bussing services for children unless they live 2.5 miles or more away from the school they attend. Closing Logan Avenue would force these students to travel much farther distances, creating additional barriers for families already facing economic challenges.

Our community has already made a massive investment in our public schools. In 2019, voters in Emporia approved a $78 million school bond, a commitment that taxpayers will continue paying until 2040. That bond represented a promise to invest in education and in the future of our children. Closing a neighborhood school like Logan Avenue undermines the trust and commitment that voters made when they approved that bond measure.

At the same time, neighboring schools are already under strain. Riverside Elementary and William Allen White Elementary are already at or near capacity. Shutting down Logan Avenue will overcrowd other schools, disrupt classrooms, and negatively affect both students and teachers across the district.

Logan Avenue Elementary provides more than just education; it is a community hub where families gather for events, children make lifelong friends, and diverse cultures come together. Its closure would strip the neighborhood of a critical center of community life and erase decades of relationships and community-building.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, proximity to schools directly impacts student attendance and academic performance. Forcing young children to travel farther distances often leads to increased stress, lower attendance, and less time for homework, extracurricular activities, and family life.

Furthermore, Logan Avenue Elementary employs dedicated teachers and staff who have committed their careers to supporting students in this community. These educators have invested deeply in the success of our children. Closing the school risks losing these experienced educators and weakening the educational support system our community depends on.

An institution so central to our neighborhood deserves to be protected and strengthened—not shut down.

We call on USD 253 leadership to explore alternatives such as pursuing additional grants, community partnerships, and other funding solutions rather than eliminating a critical neighborhood school.

Finally, we demand accountability from those making these decisions. If district leadership claims budget constraints require sacrifices, those sacrifices should begin at the top. We demand that USD 253 administrators and directors take immediate pay cuts rather than closing a neighborhood school that serves vulnerable students.

Furthermore, any school board member who supports the closure of Logan Avenue Elementary School must resign immediately, as this decision directly harms the community they were elected to serve.

This decision will impact us all, parents, students, teachers, and residents alike. We must stand together to ensure that Logan Avenue Elementary School remains a cornerstone of the Emporia community for generations to come.

Please sign this petition. Your support is vital to saving Logan Avenue Elementary School and protecting the future of our children and our community.