Recently the South Bend Community School Corporation Superintendent, Dr. Todd Cummings, announced that they will 'likely' be closing three area schools due to lack of performance. This decision will be put to a vote on February 22, 2021. Forest G. Hay Elementary is one of the schools on the chopping block. We are saddened, distressed and outraged by this decision for multiple reasons.

Not only does Hay Elementary have appropriate academic performance; it is a very well functioning, safe and positive community for the students that attend. The staff at Hay are like a family. My children have attended 3 different South Bend Elementary schools and Hay has been, by far, the most positive, supportive and safest environment. The teachers, support staff and principal are incredibly approachable, helpful and understanding. Our family cannot thank them enough for the hard work, dedication and love that they express consistently.

The actual reason for the possible closure is due to a lack of enrollment, not the school's performance. This is no fault of the school. It could be due to multiple reasons. Competition by neighboring private schools and other public corporations which are close neighbors to Hay Elementary, is one possible cause. Also, many families leave South Bend public schools due to their flawed transportation system, which is a separate entity from the school. Since Hay Elementary is located in a widespread district, with no sidewalks, walking to school for K-5th graders is nearly improbable.

Also, what many families in our school district may not be aware of is, there is an outside education organization interested in purchasing Hay Elementary because it is such a nice facility in an incredibly desirable area! We do not see the logic in removing our students from a positive, well ran school and relocating them to other schools. Some of which have been deemed 'under performing'. We feel this will only increase class sizes, over work staff, put more pressure on the already overtaxed transportation system and encourage even more families to leave our school district.

Hay Elementary also plays an important role in the Autism Resources and Life Skills portion of South Bend's Elementary Schools. There is an amazing and dedicated group of teachers, paraprofessionals and therapists who work tirelessly to help a large number of special needs children integrate into the classrooms. These amazing staff are nothing short of angels, who actually receive bodily injury at times and still continue to unconditionally love and support their students.

Over the course of the last year, there has been so much uncertainty, loss and trauma for our school's community. When one family lost a loved one to suicide, the loss could be felt throughout the entire school. Several staff members have even lost love ones due to the Covid-19 pandemic and STILL they continue to report to the school because of their undying loyalty to their students and community. The last thing that our community needs now is the uprooting of, what many of it's families consider to be, the only stable and consistent thing in their lives. Hay Elementary should be rewarded, not closed. We implore the South Bend Community School Board to please vote against the closure of Forest G. Hay Elementary!