From Page 1 reduce the budget by $12 million in the 2021-22 school year with other reductions for the remaining two years (2022-23 and 2023-24).”

Additionally, this elementary school in particular is being targeted because of its “convenient” location. Crestview’s building is located in the eye of Cottage Grove’s elementary school buildings. Nielsen claimed that “there would be no increase in school bus routes or transportation costs’’, due to that fact. Lastly, if Crestview were to shut down, the building could be renewed to satisfy a need within SWCS’s Long-Range Facility Planning Process in the approaching years. The Long-Range Facility Planning Process is a virtual handbook that displays the district’s specific means to renovate and extend each of their buildings. Whether it’s installing extra restrooms, improving cafeterias, or constructing new schools, some of the objectives estimate an increase in a facility’s capacity. SWCS has paused all of the plans within the virtual handbook in March of 2020. However, the significance of the Long-Range Facility Planning Process remains. “Over the next 10 years, more than 3,500 potential new K-12 students are expected to move into District 833. Most of this growth is expected to occur at the secondary level,” it reads on the SWCS website.

If readers are searching for further enlightenment surrounding SWCS’s budget changes, they are encouraged to attend one of three Community Information Sessions. These will unfold virtually on January 12 at 7:30am, January 14 at 12pm, and January 19 at 6pm. Nielsen informed potential participants what they can expect from each meeting, “Attendees will be able to listen to and review the budget presentation and will be able to provide input into the chat.”

To retrieve the links to the Zoom calls, one may resort to the following website: www.sowashco.org/news/ latest_news/community_info_sessions_for_budget_adjustment .

With the future of an entire school on the line, the district welcomes input from the community. In addition to hosting three virtual meetings, SWCS provides an online form where people can elevate their voices. It is found on sowashco.org/contact_us . Every ounce of feedback submitted through this form will be shared with the School Board, as assured by Nielsen.

Aside from these two options, 1,265 people and counting are accentuating their input over the threat to Crestview’s future on Change.org. The exact day Nielsen broke the news to the school’s families, Rebecca Cuellar established a petition entitled, “Save Crestview Elementary School” on the platform. Cuellar’s purpose in starting it was to urge School Board members to deny the proposal of closing Crestview. She proceeded to claim that a vote in favor of this budget cut would be a violation of District 833’s Code of Ethics II.B.1. This code states, “The Educational Administrator…Makes the well-being of students the fundamental value of all decision making and actions.”

Cueller explained her thinking on how this code would be contradicted. “Poor budgetary planning by the current School Board and Superintendent’s predecessors does not absolve any of the current Board Members or District Administrators of their mandated responsibility to protect the well-being of students.”

Within the petition, many assertions were indicated and elaborated on by the undersigned. The Journal has recorded three of their arguments. To begin with, supporters of the petition feel that shutting Crestview’s doors will harm the children of District 833. Cueller wrote, “…proposing to permanently close any school during this pandemic is unconscionable and will directly and negatively impact the mental, emotional, educational, and possibly even physical well-being of students in South Washington County.”

Katelyn Martens-Rodriguez is one ally of the petition. After virtually signing it, she submitted a text that voiced a similar message to Cuellar’s, “As a public librarian who works 2 blocks away from Crestview, this decision would severely impact the community in a negative way. I respectfully disagree with the proposal to close Crestview Elementary.”

A second significant article attached to the petition expresses frustration over the numerous transitions that Crestview’s older students have undergone. “…closing Crestview will result in next year’s 4th & 5th grade students changing elementary schools for a THIRD time due to District rezoning, all while their families have remained in the same homes,” Cueller stated.

Karen Finstad is another supporter of “Save Crestview Elementary School”. She validated Cueller’s outrage when she commented, “We moved to Crestview as part of the boundary change 2 years ago due to overcrowding! We have come to love Crestview…”

Alongside these two arguments stands an assertion that was frequently examined in the comments. The undersigned voiced concerns that elementary classrooms in Cottage Grove would be overcrowded if Crestview closed this summer. Allison Blaskowski is the child of a SWCS educator. She cried, “I know that the schools in this district are already far too crowded as is. There is NO MORE ROOM in any of the other elementary schools in CG. Kindergarten classes should not have 30+ students like they do now in some of these schools…”

Blaskowski proceeded to explain that a shutdown of an elementary school would stow a “strain” on teachers who already host a “ridiculous” amount of students. Perhaps Molly Groothuis’ views would align with Blaskowski’s. “I am a resident in District 833 and an educator. Closing this school will only increase over enrollment,” Groothuis claimed.

Beyond these three arguments that encourage district leaders to veto slamming the doors of Crestview, were many more. To view the community’s additional worries, one may navigate to www.change.org/p/south-washingtoncounty- school-board-save-crestview-elementary-school?r edirect=false .

Once again, the School Board is remaining attentive to the desperate words of community members. In an update within the petition, Cueller explained, “The School Board workshop meeting was [January 7] in which they heard about the proposed budget cuts that will be voted on in 2 weeks. They are reading your arguments & pleas from the petition, emails, and social media. There is still hope to sway the Board Members to act with prudence and not make permanent cuts at the expense of our students.”

Unfortunately, the possibility of Crestview permanently closing remains. Nielsen wrote to Crestview families what they can prepare for if Crestview closing becomes one of the budget adjustments, “If the proposal to close Crestview Elementary is approved, we will create a transition team that includes parents, staff and community members. The potential closure of Crestview would take place at the end of this school year. Adjustments to the school boundaries, that define where a student would attend school in the fall, would be shared once the decision is made.”