Public forums set to discuss Pueblo school closures
In just nine days, the Pueblo City School Board will vote on whether they wish to keep two schools open, Heroes Academy and Minnequa Elementary.
Monday, District 60 School Board members and parents met at Heroes Academy to discuss the possibility of this school shutting its doors for good.
Both schools are on the chopping block for a reason. Heroes Academy needs $33 million to properly renovate the building and enrollment is dropping. Minnequa Elementary faces similar problems, including a performance rating of priority improvement.
The reports of failing infrastructure stem from the recent MOA Architect review of the district’s buildings last year showed many of the district’s schools were in poor shape.
Pueblo City Schools spokesperson Dalton Sprouse says Monday night’s meeting is about hearing feedback from parents.
“This is an opportunity for the school board to hear from the community and the majority of the meeting is going to be devoted to hearing from the public,” said Sprouse. “We want to hear from those people and this is their opportunity to speak up.”
Nika Sanchez has two siblings who attend the Heroes Academy and plans on attending the forum with her mother.
“It’s going to be a lot harder on all of our parents cause we don’t know where the kids are going to go to school,” said Sanchez when asked what she wanted the board members to know.
Parents waiting to pick up children from Heroes Academy Monday afternoon all had a similar message for the school board.
According Pueblo City Schools, if Heroes were to shut down a majority of elementary students would be transfered to Irving Elementary with a smaller portion going to Morton Elementary. As for the middle school students, a majority would go to Risley International with a portion going to Heation Middle school.
As for the educators, district officials say they will need teachers at other schools, and would work on transfering them to other schools on a case by case basis.
District 60 still hasn’t made any decisions for any of the elementary schools or high schools. There will be a second forum at 6 p.m. Thursday.
