The school board voted this past week to close Phoenicia after the 2023-2024 school year and to close Woodstock by 2028, consolidating all K-5 students at Bennett. The board did this in an extremely shady manner, adding an agenda item mere hours before their meeting in hopes that as few people as possible would notice. The resolution passed 6-1 despite the pleas of an hour and a half of public community member comments (all but two against consolidation!), all while the board continues to refuse to cost out necessary renovations to Bennett (likely between $50 million and $100 million) and ignores the results of their own survey which overwhelmingly favored keeping our two neighborhood schools open. It's clear now that the entire process was a sham to give the appearance of "community input" while the board barreled ahead. 

So what can we do about? We -- you! -- can VOTE. There is a school board election coming up on May 16. The group behind this petition, Onteora Parents Engaged Now (OPEN), supports three candidates, all of whom have vowed to fight to keep our local schools open: Emily Mitchell-Marell, Clark Goodrich and Caroline Jerome (important: you will need to add Caroline as a write-in!). If we can get all three elected, we can flip the board and reverse their tragic, misinformed and sneaky decision. 

May 16. Between 2-9pm. At your local elementary school. Emily Mitchell-Marell, Clark Goodrich, Caroline Jerome (write-in), to keep our schools OPEN. Spread the word! We need your help!