Board of Education - Public Hearing, April 7, 2026

001and I would like to call the April 7th public hearing regarding the potential closure of Perry Elementary School to order with the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> [laughter] >> Roll call, please. Mr. Dusemeyer [clears throat] >> Here. Mr. Herrera >> Here. Mr. Hempkey Here. Mrs. Howe >> Here. Mr. Mueller Here. Mr. Piggy >> Here. Mrs. Young >> Here. Before we start the public hearing of the board, as a reminder, all board members are expected to follow our approved meeting norms and board protocol. At this time, we have a brief presentation on the possible closure of Perry Elementary School and I will

002hand it over to Dr. Shaw. Uh good evening. I would like to begin by asking if anyone needs Spanish translation services. All right. Uh hearing none, thank you very much uh for being here this evening for that and thank you all for being here again uh for our public hearing tonight. >> [clears throat] >> Uh as I said last night, I will very briefly go through this presentation. Uh it's the same presentation as I gave last night. I know many of you sat through it uh last night and you've heard these same things in several meetings previously. So, I'm going to try to make it quick. Uh tonight is about you and about hearing from the public. Uh so, we will reserve time for that. As last night, we aren't having a question and answer

003tonight. However, there is an FAQ that is available on the district website. Uh we are updating that FAQ with additional FAQs as they come our way and we will continue to do that uh through the rest of this week. There are QR codes around the room uh where you can hop onto the district website uh and look at that as well as past presentations uh and other information regarding the facility master plan. Uh so, I'm going to go ahead and go into uh the presentation. And uh the summary of this presentation is really to very briefly tell you about the past, present, and future of where we are at in our facility master planning process. Back in 2022, the district responded to the fact that many district buildings uh across all of our sites are

004aging uh and were designed for different educational, safety, and accessibility standards than what students may need today. Facility conditions varied across the district creating inequities in learning environments, safety features, and accessibility. As a result, the district began a long-range facilities master planning process. Again, that took place in 2022. Building conditions and system needs were uh looked at, enrollment trends and capacity, education program requirements, and long-term fiscal responsibility were all a part of that discussion. Uh today uh after completing the community-driven facilities master plan, uh which was developed uh with input from a stakeholder group of approximately 50 staff, families, students, community members, board representatives, and uh third-party consultants, we are now uh in the process of actively implementing phase one. Uh phase one of the facility master plan focuses on safety and security improvements at

005all of our schools. Critical building systems such as roofs, HVAC, and infrastructure, accessibility, and code compliance. It also includes updates to expand Everett High School, to move the district wellness center, and to remodel Perry Elementary School. Projects were prioritized based on need, impact, and equity across the district. Uh the community was engaged using independent polling to further inform those decisions. Uh phase one addresses urgent needs now while planning responsibly for what is next. Specific to this evening, uh we are talking about Perry Elementary School. Perry Elementary School was built in 1897 with additions in 1954. It is a multi-story building with a current enrollment of approximately 175 students. What we are addressing uh right now as part of phase one is uh the tier two scope approved by the board in September of 2024. Uh

006the approximate cost of that scope is $6.8 million. Included in that scope is a new secure entry sequence with a main office remodel. Uh those two pieces are conjoined. ADA compliance modernization, uh tier two remodel in conjunction with the elevator, restroom, and stairwell modifications, access control upgrade, and roof restoration. Not included in that phase one uh um is an additional about 7 to 9 million dollars uh in projects that may be included uh should we move forward with phase two. That would include uh items like installing LED lighting, installing a sprinkler fire protection system, fire alarm code for code compliance, PA system, emergency generator, and modernizing the HVAC system. Perry Elementary School has a replacement value of approximately 17.5 to 18.5 million dollars uh with a phase one investment of approximately 6.8 million and a

007potential phase two additional investment of 7 to 9 million dollars. There would still be remaining building limitations uh after that investment. The question we get most frequently is why have these conditions not been addressed sooner? Uh there certainly has been decades of deferred maintenance, not only at Perry but across the district that are being addressed as a part of the facilities master plan. The work that was approved as part of phase one has always been scheduled to take place later in phase one due to the complexity and scope of the nature of the work. Uh for example, to be strategic in spending at Perry, it would not be cost-effective or efficient to replace the roof before the issues of secure entrances and ADA compliance issues have been addressed. The design for Perry School is scheduled

008to take place in July of 2026, which is why the board is looking at next steps for Perry now before making that additional investment. Why is the board considering a potential closure? While the board [clears throat] in September of 2024 approved keeping Perry open, it is now time to begin the design for the remodel that is necessary at Perry School. That means it is now time to begin significant investment at Perry School to keep it open for the foreseeable future. The board is considering the cost necessary to keep Perry open, the demographic study that indicates that we are not expecting significant growth, and that we do have capacity at our other elementary schools at this time to serve our Perry students, providing comparable spaces for all of our students, and stakeholder feedback. While the board

009truly values Perry students, staff, and families, and the history and importance of neighborhood schools. The board also takes very seriously the responsibility of being good stewards of taxpayer dollars, and that is what brings us here this evening for this hearing and this conversation. At this time, I will turn it back over to President Herrera. Thank you, Dr. Shug. We will now have our hearing of visitors. Members of the public and employees of District 100 may make public comments. As a reminder, any person appearing before the board is expected to to address the board only at the appropriate time and follow the directives of the board president and to maintain order and decorum, >> [snorts] >> identify oneself, limit your comments to 3 minutes, and conduct oneself with respect and civility towards others, [clears throat] and

010otherwise abide by board policy 8:30, visitors to and conduct on school property. >> [clears throat] >> At this time, would Mr. Andrew Kitson please come forward? Kitson, my apologies. Sure. Trying to read the writing on this As I said, you'll be hearing from me tonight and Thursday night as well. Uh today was a very informative day for me. I had the opportunity to meet with Dr. Shug, with Nexus, and tour Perry School. I understand this decision is a huge decision with lots of dollar signs after it. I understand you need to consider all options. Have [clears throat] you looked at the options? I've heard many of you say the survey shows what the public wants, but does it really? Let me state 66% of those surveyed were done by Optimasters. By those numbers, if they

011were true, that would mean 66% of the households in this district do not have children in them. Do you believe that's only 34% of the district that has kids in the house? I don't buy it. How much credibility can you put into that company when they say they can make the results be whatever you want them to be? They said that in the meeting. He also said they can make people take the survey. I don't know about you, there's no one in this earth that can make me take a survey if I don't want to take it. Which tells me that they're going to make the results what they want to be by doing that. They also in an interview stated that they called people back that were unsure and gave them more information. Is

012that an accurate survey if you're calling them back to give more information because they did not give the information you wanted or the answer you wanted? Do you trust your current administrator? >> [clears throat] >> In the famous words of Mr. Ronald Reagan, trust, but verify. And that's exactly what I'm doing in this process. Trust you what I hear, but verifying to be if it's true. I've verified that there are many truths, and there are all are lies. Why would the administrator deny that there was RFP for Nexus? FOIA request that it Miss Shug said it herself, there was no RFP for Nexus. I verified that from three different sources that replied to the RFP for Nexus. Why hide that? All three that sent proposals stated they replied to an RFP. Nexus was hired with

013a 7-0 vote. That is not possible. One member was absent the meeting they voted, which makes it a 6-0. I know it's still unanimous. Details matter. There was over $547,000 approved by admin to spend without board approval. Not until after $336,000 was spent did the board even get involved. As of uh August 1st of '23, $336,000 was spent. The board did not approve that until August 21st. Ask yourself, why is that? Now, the timeline. But let me get back to the Perry families. They were told they could rank schools of their choice in case that they were to close, what school they would want to go to. Seth Whitman is on that list of schools. I was informed Seth Whitman is full and they cannot reconfigure to get kids in there. So, why would that

014school be on that list that are being told to these Perry students? Now, the timeline. Why wait so long to do this? It seems very strategic to me that we wait till right before the end of the school year to bring this back up. Miss Hornback left Perry in November as principal of Perry. She left in November. Thank you, Mr. Kitson. Your 3 minutes are up. We'll finish on Thursday. THANK YOU. >> [applause] >> IS A RYDER CALLAN AVAILABLE? It's Kayla. Kayla? It's not Ryder. Just read. Let it flow. You can do it. You can do it. I will, Peggy. Hi, yeah. Hi, my name is My name is Ryder. I'm in Miss [snorts] Orange's fourth grade class at Perry Elementary. I have gone to this school since kindergarten. I remember 2 years ago when

015I was in second grade, we almost shut down. I was a little too afraid to speak up at that time, but I did attend a public hearing with my mom in show the gym at Perry. I love my school, my teachers, and my friends. I love recess and spending my time on the blacktop with four square. My mom took me around to other schools that she thought may be an option if we closed down, and I noticed there was wasn't a um blacktop at the other schools with four square. I feel my school is special because we have four square on a four square. We have a blacktop and four square, and I'm very good at it at the game, and I don't want to lose it. I feel we have gotten to experience everything

016that other schools have not experienced. [cough] For example, 2 years ago, Miss Kitson brought her goats from her farm. I haven't heard of another school getting to see a goat, and today we I got to see Mrs. Cameron's golden retriever puppy. And on then Friday, Cameron the dog is coming to visit our school. This is just one example of how great Perry is. Please don't close our school. We are ALL A FAMILY. >> [applause] [applause] >> THANK YOU, RYDER. APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS AND BEING here this evening to stand up and and uh make public comments. So, thank you. Uh would Mrs. Cynthia Anderson please come forward? Hello. My name is Cynthia Anderson. I'm also known as Mrs. A at Perry. Perry is a very special place. I've been working in District what in District 100

017since April of 2018 as a paraprofessional. In my time here, I've worked at three different schools, BHS, Caledonia, and Perry. I came to Perry when the students came back to school in person from COVID in January of 2021. On my first day at Perry, I was greeted by most, if not all of the staff at that time. There was an immediate feeling of being part of a family, not only with the staff, but also with the community around the school. You may have heard many people say that [snorts] the Perry staff know all the students by name, which is true. But these are just words to you. To truly understand this, you would have to come and see for yourself. Now, I know I would not like to be seated where you guys are and

018make this decision that you have to make. But put yourself in our shoes. 2 years ago, we were told that Perry would remain open. Yet 2 years later, nothing has been done. Even then, all of us, the staff, keep coming to teach the children because that's what we're supposed to do. We were given hopes for a future at Perry. But now, it feels like all of that was a lie for you to buy time to close our school. How would you feel if this school was where your children are? What would you do or say to save that school? Now, I want to end with a conversation that I had with one of the students I work with. They asked me last week, "Why do they want to close my school? I don't ever want

019to leave Perry." And I told them, "NEITHER DO I." >> [applause] >> THANK YOU, MRS. A. UH WOULD VERONICA JONES She's last. Okay. Would Isabelle Is- Sorry. Isabella. >> Isabella, yeah. Bynick? Isabella Bynick. OH, WOO! >> YOU'RE SCARED. IT'S OKAY, BELLA. IT'S OKAY, BELLA. It's okay, Bella. It's okay, you don't have to. Basically, she wanted to ask you to She wants to ask you not to close her school. It's her family and her friends and Mrs. Cameron and all the other teachers there love her more than anything and she's opened up. She used to be really shy, believe it or not. She has gotten a lot better. She has. And it's all because of Perry and the small classrooms and the one-on-one um attention that she gets from her teachers, not just the teachers, but

020the principal and all the other teachers that surround her. The librarian, she had the best kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Hirsch, and from the beginning of her >> [clears throat] >> her experience at Perry with Mrs. Hirsch opened her up and she's in love with everybody in in that everybody and all the students in that school, all the teachers. She doesn't want you to close her school. She's very very sad. Thank you, ISABELLA, FOR BEING >> [applause] [clears throat] >> OKAY, AT THIS TIME, WOULD FORT ZACHARY PLEASE COME FORWARD? Good evening. I understand your concern with renovation costs to Perry. I do not want taxpayer money wasted, either. And if this was the only spending issue, I would understand why you'd be hesitant. But closing Perry is not happening in a bubble. It is linked to other

021projects, as indicated by your survey, specifically building a new early childhood center. Let me outline why renovation of Perry is the smarter and cheaper investment. To be clear, when I say investment, I mean the whole thing, not half measures that put us back here every two to five years. Commit to making Perry a viable facility for another 125 years and then properly use it. Redraw the boundaries such that Perry is brought back up to 300 students. Perry is uniquely situated in the center of the district. Its boundaries can be tweaked to relieve pressure at any other school. No overcrowding means you no longer need to move your two EC centers at Caledonia and Washington. They can stay where they are, perfectly situated at opposite ends of the district, meaning three and four-year-old preschoolers don't have

022long bus drives. You say this level invest of investment will cost $14 million. Done right, you can preserve Perry's current ADA status, doing the improvements that make sense, like elevators, and save money, avoiding the ones that don't. Perry has never needed a drop-off lane. When was anyone hit by a car in Perry's playground? Parking around Perry has worked fine, literally since cars were invented. Perry has never had a kitchen, [laughter] yet kids are still fed. My school cafeteria doubled as the auditorium. Our gym works fine. You've neglected our roof for decades and yet it doesn't leak. Our classrooms are not the same square footage as every other building. We have hardwood floors, not tile, and we have a lot little library in what you call a basement. And guess what? Our students are not only

023still learning, they thrive. Look at their test scores every year. Better yet, go look at Cal's library right now. You're hung up on this word equity and yet with [clears throat] students, we call them individualized education plans for a reason. You think you're not You think you're going to build a new EC center for less than $14 million? New buildings include hidden costs besides the structure itself, land acquisition and development, management [clears throat] fees to Nexus, modern code compliance. You're not grandfathered into any exemptions, increased transportation costs for a centralized EC and the displaced Perry students, and new buildings cost more to maintain. Perry costs $18,000 a year in electricity, while Seth costs $91,000. BHS costs $170,000, while the new high school more than doubles that. Then there's the fact that this year you just

024proved you could maintain Perry for as little as $48,000 a year total. And before you cry about cost per student, fill Perry with 300 kids and recalculate. And [snorts] none of that includes the cost of having to demolish Perry because no one will buy it off of you, or will you pay to maintain another empty school and watch property values around Perry tank. No, when taken as a whole, investing in Perry is clearly the fiscally responsible thing to do FOR YOUR TAXPAYERS. >> [applause] >> AT THIS TIME, WOULD MR. RORY Peterson please step forward? >> [laughter] >> We are here tonight due to poor maintenance and deterioration, but not that of Perry school itself. Instead, it is of the trust and goodwill once existing between the public and the District 100 administration. The promise to

025repair and sustain Perry school made in 2024 was dishonored, even with the over 500,000 provided by the city and land cash collections specifically intended for roof repair. There was no debate whatsoever concerning Perry's fate by any candidates prior to the recent 2025 by board elections, so voters were deprived of their voice the first time. Instead, the voice was handed, allegedly, to a mere 400 phone respondents out of a 44,000 district population, 0.89 of a percent. Out of those, we deduce that 136 have children in any school. Respondents were not given inputs needed to assure objective feedback, even if it had been a statistically valid sample. But the proposal to spend up to 6.8 million on Perry school was only a part of the total 50.2 million spending projected on all District 100 schools. The 4.4

026million of the Perry proposal is for a very opaquely named and largely unexplained match tier two concept for 65% of the entire budget. For what, exactly? Then an astounding 5.4 million is being spent on Nexus Solutions LLC, the consultant devising and pushing these spending plans on District 100, including the 400-person survey. There were no projections provided respondents for the cost of tearing down the Perry buildings or for leaving them abandoned, for that matter, and significantly for the additional new bussing costs imposed that will be required long after any repairs would have been paid for. The survey [clears throat] asked if people thought their taxes were fair, including all 76 renters, but no one was asked if they knew what share of their tax bill the school district consumes or what their exact payment to the

027school was last year or any year. And sadly, those taxes are being spent like water. Whereas in 2022, there were 17 administration employees being paid $1,924,729, that has now ballooned to 32 employees with a payroll of $3,343,287, a 73% hike. Yet none of those could do in-house any of the work we are also paying Nexus 5.4 million for. Total enrollment has fallen 6.8% from 2018 to 2025, but the tax levy jumped from $57,782,681 in 2022 to $65,539,423 in 2025, 14% increase. This is zero-sum math for a diminishing field of beneficiaries. District taxpayers cannot sustain the unrestrained appetite for taxes, like spending $13,174,000 on just one school's HVAC and electric boiler for gas changeout. Our home values cannot endure the abandonment by District 100 of an underserved growing minority neighborhood, as the schools are now all

028but completely clustered in the more upscale outskirts. >> Thank you, Mr. Peterson. Your three MINUTES ARE UP. >> [applause] >> OKAY, AT THIS TIME, WOULD MADISON QUAINTER PLEASE COME FORWARD? HELLO, I'm Madison Quainter. I attended Perry K through five and later graduated from BHS with a 4.0 GPA. I'm continuing that same level of academic success at the university level. Perry helped build the foundation of my learning and I stand here today as an example of the kind of success that starts at Perry. Also, during my time at Perry, there was already discussions about closing Perry or Kishwaukee. I remember the fear of potentially losing my school. I understand exactly how these current Perry students feel as if right now. That's why I'm here today. Please do not close Perry. Do not follow or don't allow

029that fear become a reality to those students. They don't deserve that. You do Neither do the parents, nor the teachers and staff who have dedicated so much to Perry. There's been little to no effort to that has been put to Perry. The solution discussed in the 2024 discussion was to invest more time into theory, effort, and funding, but that promise was not upheld. There has been multiple opportunities to support Perry, but none have been taken. For example, the city of Belvidere gave over $500,000 to the school board to go towards Perry expenses. I would like to know why this funding was never used for Perry, especially when 2 years ago it was acknowledged that Perry is the school in the largest the greatest need of repairs. This is historical neglect. On another note, another board

030member has said that the decision to close Perry is considered a done deal, with which is deeply concerning. This concern goes beyond just one individual, but I would hate to see this board become a yes-man to the idea of closing Perry without any consideration. I will be paying attention, and so will probably all of us be paying attention to how everyone votes. We will remember, because when it's time for your guys' seats are Well, no. There go, and there's also a discussion about building a new EC building. The superintendent has mentioned that her concern for the community will be to is to connect have the project be connected with closing Perry. I can't help but believe that Perry is a sacrificial motivation to build a new EC building due to the superintendent connecting that idea

031herself. If the board ultimately decides to close Perry while moving forward with the new EC building, I ask you to include on the plaque under all your names, "Rest in Peace, Perry Elementary." Please prove me wrong. Please show or please hold yourselves accountable. Please vote for the people and not for your special interests. Please follow through on commitments that were made 2 years ago that were not kept. Please give Perry the love that it deserves. >> [applause] [applause] >> Okay, at this time, would Wendy Kitchen please come forward? >> [clears throat] >> Hi again. Um I stand before you today not just as a teacher at Perry School, but as someone who sees the heart of this community every single morning. This Thursday, um when you go to vote, I ask you to remember what

032is actually being voted on. You aren't just voting on a building or a budget line. You are voting on whether or not to dismantle a pillar of this community. A school that is working, and a place where students are truly thriving. Looking at the proposal given at the beginning of this hearing that we watched up there, um there were some things that I would like to comment about. One thing mentioned was the undersized gym. We only have one class in there at a time in science. Other buildings have two or three classes in their gym at a time. We only have one, so it works just fine. Um the next thing mentioned is the fact that we don't have a kitchen. We don't need one. Our kids have never had one, and they're fine with

033that. Our students receive the same lunch as students in all the other schools. Another item mentioned is adding a drop-off lane. For who? Most of our students walk and don't have buses that need a special drop-off lane. Or maybe think of a different option. Maybe make one of the roads next to Perry a one-way street, and if we need a drop-off lane, that could be a drop-off drop-off lane. We also don't need more parking spaces. Again, for who? It works now. The next item mentioned is about the playground being close to the road. The solution is simple. Put up a fence. That would be a fraction of the cost to the district, even though all of the other schools are getting brand new playgrounds paid for and approved by the board. So, there are options.

034We don't have to do everything presented. So, maybe the cost could change a little. Um this isn't the first or even the second time Perry has faced this. Previous boards have stood where you are now, looked at the value of the small neighborhood school, and chosen to protect it. They understood understood that they cannot put a price tag on the stability of a neighborhood. I see that stability every morning. I see my students walk into school with their families, no buses required, just a short walk to a place where they are known. I invite any of you to stand at our doors with me at 7:30 a.m. Come see our morning routine. You will see teachers greeting every single student by name with a smile and a hug. You don't just teach these or we

035don't just teach these children. We love them. Until stay until dismissal time. You'll see that connection doesn't end when the bell rings. At dismissal time, our students don't rush to go home. They are already home with their family when they are at Perry. You'll see a playground full of laughter and friendships. On any given afternoon, you'll likely find teachers out there on the blacktop playing basketball with our students after school after hours. Those games aren't just about sports, they're about connection and community. When the sun is out, our playground playground is the heartbeat of this neighborhood. It is [snorts] a place of joy, safety, and longing. As a teacher, I'm asking you to please vote. Please don't vote to take that away. Let's follow the wisdom of the board before you. Thank you, Ms. Kitchen.

036>> neighborhood [clears throat] whole. PLEASE KEEP PERRY >> [applause] [applause] >> AT THIS TIME, WOULD MRS. Megan Hirsch PLEASE COME FORWARD? >> [applause] >> MY NAME IS MEGAN HIRSCH, AND I'VE BEEN A kindergarten teacher at Perry School for 16 years. Every year, I have the privilege of welcoming some of our community's youngest learners as they take their very first steps into education. Kindergarten is not just an introduction to academics. It is where children learn how to be a part of a community, build trust with educators, and develop a sense of safety and belonging. It's where they learn not just their letters and numbers, but how [snorts] to feel safe, how to make friends, and how to trust the adults around them. It's where they feel seen, heard, and supported. In kindergarten, those first experiences matter

037deeply. Our school provides a stable, nurturing environment where students are known individually, supported emotionally, and encouraged to grow at their own pace. Closing this school would disrupt that foundation in ways that cannot easily be measured by data alone. Each day, I work closely with our youngest learners at one of the most critical stages of their development, and I have deep concerns about how this possible decision to close their school will affect them. Many of our students thrive because of the consistency and relationships they have built here. Moving them to a new, larger, or less familiar environment may create anxiety, behavioral challenges, and setbacks in both social and academic development, especially for those who are already vulnerable. The familiarity of a neighborhood school, close to home, built with caring staff, and rooted in the community helps

038children feel secure enough to learn, grow, and thrive. I see firsthand how important that stability is. Our students walk in nervous on the first day, often holding tightly to a parent's hand. Within weeks, they are confident, curious, and excited to be at school. That transformation happens because Perry is small enough to build real relationships. We know our students, we know their families, and that connection is something you can't easily replace. In addition, our school serves as a cornerstone for families. Parents trust this building, this staff, and this community. The feeling that you get when you come to Perry is like home, like you belong. At Perry, we know each family, each student, each teacher, each stakeholder. A closure would not only displace students, but also weaken the connections between families and educational system at a

039time when strong partnerships are more important than ever. Closing Perry would mean more than moving students to another building. It would mean longer commutes for young children, less family engagement, and the loss of a neighborhood anchor. For many families, especially those with limited resources, proximity matters. Being able to walk their child to school, attend events, and stay involved in their education makes a real difference. Perry School has a history, but more importantly, it has a future. Every year, we help shape children who will go on to contribute to this community. When you invest in a neighborhood school like Perry, you're investing in those children and in the strength of the neighborhood itself. I understand that decisions like this are not easy, but I urge you to consider what Perry represents, not just in numbers, but

040in people, relationships, and opportunity. Thank you, MRS. HIRSCH. >> [cheering] [applause] >> AT THIS TIME, WOULD MIKE SPEAK PLEASE COME FORWARD? >> [snorts] >> Hey guys. Don't you make me follow that. >> [laughter] >> You got this. Um I just wanted to finish out some of the things that I that I forgot to mention yes- yesterday. Uh some people have you know, have asked if taxpayers should be should bear the burden of lower capacity buildings. The way I see it, if if all of our schools were neighborhood schools, maybe our kids would spend a little bit more time outside. Walking is important. We do a whole lot of that. Yeah, studies have shown that that kids aren't aren't getting enough exercise lately. Walking to school you know, for as low as as little as 20

041minutes a day can greatly increase increase their their physical, social, and mental health among among other things. As far as if if Perry Perry closing would be a stop a stop gap to balancing the budgets. The way we the way we see it if the budget was messed up without investing in the Perry, it isn't our fault. I really hope that you aren't aren't still taking it out on these kids to save save some taxpayer dollars by closing the school. If if Perry closes and we come to another budget shortfall, I really hope that it doesn't come to it. But we will be right here defending Caledonia, Everest, whatever school might come might come next that could save they could save the budgets. Lastly, I'd like to I'd like to say how proud I am

042of all of you guys. We beg at you. I am so proud of my community for speaking up. My wife just said kids are coming in really hot and >> [laughter] >> that's not us. We are we are very kind but we're passionate. We love our community. We love our neighbors. We love our family and we'll do anything to protect it. It's nothing against you guys. We understand you have a large decision to make and it's very important but we we need to feel heard. I I hope it's I hope it's helping. As far as far as equity, these kids have everything that they need. They have strong role models. They have support system that won't let them fail. A neighborhood that looks out for them. They got friends they had for years. A staff

043that encourages them to be individuals. By moving them to another school, they'll be in a new space with no one to look out for them, separated from their friends, have to be bused instead of stepping outside their school and seeing all those friendly faces immediately. On top of it at the at the town hall meeting, I was under the impression that that kids that kids would be sent to Perry to meet the buses. That seems like kind of a slap in the face. Yeah, I I I hope there's an alternative location if if that's if that's true. But according to the new Thank you, Mr. Speak. YOUR TIME IS UP. >> [applause] >> HEY, AT THIS TIME WOULD MEGAN SPEAK? PLEASE COME FORWARD. >> [applause] [laughter] >> I HAD A really hard time coming up

044with something to say to you all tonight that you haven't already heard actually because this is my fifth time at this podium [clears throat] now talking about why this school needs to stay open. Because I spoke at every one of the last three hearings two years ago too. I hate public speaking and [clears throat] you can probably see how bad my hands are shaking right now. But this right here gives me more anxiety than anything else. But I keep coming back and I keep showing up and I keep getting up here and I keep talking at you because I have to. I need to. Because how can I teach my kids to stand up for what's right if I don't do it myself? So keeping Perry open is what's right for everyone, not just our

045kids but the kids and teachers at the other schools too. There have been many studies about the impact of large class sizes on students and the following is an excerpt from the National Education Association's website. The most famous study is the Tennessee one authorized by the Tennessee legislature almost 40 years ago called Project STAR which is student teacher achievement ratio. It was run by a Harvard professor named Frederick Mosteller. The project compared 6,500 [clears throat] K through three students half in classes with just 13 to 17 students and half in classes of 22 to 25. Mosteller found that the students in the smaller classes did significantly better on academic tests and that the difference persisted for years which was compelling evidence. Which could also be why Perry is one of only three schools in this

046district has never received a targeted status on summative designation since they were introduced in 2018. Closing Perry and dispersing our kids to the other schools raises class sizes and then none of the students are getting the time and attention they deserve. And that's not a knock at the teachers of any of the other schools in the district. I know they would do their best to welcome and accommodate our kids. But even if they're superhuman and go above and beyond every single day like they already do, there are only so many hours in a school day to spread out among a class size of 25 plus students and overworked teachers do get burnt out eventually. >> [applause] >> Thank you, Mr. Speak. At this time would Brandon Fitchy please come forward? Most of what I was

047going to address has already been addressed actually but still at the same time I'm going to start by addressing the cafeteria considering that it seems to be getting brought brought up every time. I've asked both of my kids who are sitting right there, "What do you guys think of the cafeteria?" and they go, "What's a cafeteria?" So I showed them a picture and they go, "That looks like my gym." >> [laughter] >> They don't care where they eat as long as they can sit down and eat with their friends. That's all that matters to them. >> [clears throat] >> Yeah, and also with the playground, yes small, outdated. Kids don't care. For the most part they can just go down to the park after the end at the end of the school day which is

048roughly two blocks, maybe four minutes for most of us. That's where they can go and play after school if they want to. But also at the same time every day we get out of school, the first thing my kids their friends ask, "Can we go to our playground?" Every day. Every day. Every day. It could be negative 20° outside, that's the first thing they want to go do play on their playground. >> [clears throat] >> The other thing I would bring up is you talk about safety around our park. I found out when doing some digging on the internet 2021 by Meehan, there was a kid that was almost hit traffic. They don't have a fence. They got a huge mound. I would know, I went there back in '95. So [clears throat] whether it's

049a fence or a playground, at the end of the day it comes down to the parent teaching the kids to stay out of the road. And also ask, "Hey, my ball went out in the street, can you help me?" to whoever teacher is there. That's for them asking for help to learn early what it means to ask for help. Also, I've also talked to my kids about their library. I say, "Don't you think it's a little small?" They're like, "Don't we have a big public library down the street?" >> [clears throat] >> Yeah, we do and it's free. They want to go spend four hours looking for a book there, let's go. Otherwise, just grab a little book out of your library read together. >> [clears throat] >> Another thing is the last thing that

050I want to really express is that school should not be about luxury. It's about learning, feeling safe. And I feel that that is being met at Perry. Cuz at the end of the day we want our kids kids to want to go to school, not hate it. Every day when my kids walk up to the steps, you've already heard it said before, they're greeted with hugs, high fives, "Hey, how you doing? Oh, I didn't see you yesterday, were you sick? How you feeling?" Also at the same time, the minute we start getting bigger class sizes, it not only puts a stress on the children but the teachers. >> [clears throat] >> That also means that at the same time cuz the teachers are so stressed out that the kids start to fall behind that are

051struggling now. And to me, that is completely unacceptable in any district. That's all I got. Thank you, MR. FITCHY. >> [applause] >> OKAY, WOULD JACE COONEY PLEASE come forward? Hi, my name is Jace. I'm in fourth grade and I've been going to Perry for five years. I love my school cuz it was not too big. I don't spend too much time walking from class to class. I'm okay with sharing my gym and lunchroom. That's how I've always had it. I am able to build better friendships because there's less kids. Also, you don't worry about getting bullied in high school. A small school also means kids get to enjoy more activities than most schools. I've been looking to I've been wanting to have a cross country team. All my teachers Miss Ersland, Miss Nowlin, Miss Kitzmiller,

052Miss Carroll, Miss Olson, and because in the small school I already know I can look forward to having this time to do sports. The school starts at 8:25 a.m. If you close my school, I will be sad and I will be worried about it. I won't be able to go TO THIS SCHOOL. >> [applause] >> THANK YOU, [clears throat] JACE, FOR FOR UH COMING THIS EVENING and speaking to us. We appreciate your comments. Thank you. >> [snorts] >> Um Will Ryan Peterson please COME FORWARD? GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS RYAN PETERSON. I'M A special education teacher at Perry. I started my teaching career at Perry back in 1998. My wife and I live in the district. She is also a teacher. And I have two daughters that attend North. One daughter even runs on the

053very expensive track. >> [laughter] >> After listening to different perspectives and presentations, I'm curious about several issues. In my opinion, Perry did not have to be put in this all or nothing situation. Investment upgrades could have and should have been done in increments. Just like in every other school, preserving Perry's ADA status was saving the district money. Instead, there's been a pattern of willful neglect with money earmarked [clears throat] for Perry going to high school projects. Millions of dollars have been spent at other elementary schools like Lincoln and Meeker, converting their center open spaces into huge classrooms. Washington received a thermal heating upgrade and a new playground. Perry's has received nothing. I'm curious why Perry Perry's maintenance budget has decreased by $10,000 over each of the last 2 years. I'm curious why Perry's enrollment dropped

054from 298 students in 2017 to almost half that today. Why are staffing levels have shrunk to several one teacher per grade level? Curiously, this has led to maxed out classrooms with students being together for multiple years day in and day out. We know of students living in our small boundary that have been sent to other schools as overflow students. I'm curious just over 2 years ago the district did an exhaustive evaluation of Perry, collected a mountain of real input from the community, and voted to keep Perry open and invest in its future. I'm curious why this vote seems to be in question again. If the board approved 2 years ago to start repairs at Perry, why hasn't that money allocated for repairs never utilized? Where did it go? Why is school community with over 100

055years of educating families in Bellingham rest on a survey of just over 400 people who no one has heard of taking? Supposedly, two-thirds of which were empty nesters paid for by the company that stands to gain financially from the results. I'm curious that a special board meeting held in February while that head pollster in charge said, "I can write questions to get any information you want." Predictably, the results flattered you, teachers in the district and administrators. Curiously, several questions supposedly surveyed that appeared to be biased towards closing Perry and building a new early childhood center. I'm also curious as a teacher and taxpayer why the whole process of potentially closing Perry has been so fast in the last quarter of the year. In just 2 months the district has announced the possibility of closing Perry

056to taking this vote this Thursday night. Thank you, Mr. Peterson. YOUR TIME IS UP. >> [applause] >> AT THIS TIME WOULD THE ALANA OR ELENA Bennick Alana. Alana? ALANA, THANK YOU. >> [applause] >> HI, MY NAME IS ALANA AND I'M IN the Miss Olson's fourth grade class. I don't want Perry Elementary to be shut down because I have these students from my school who are amazing teachers and I don't want to lose my amazing teachers, too. No other schools are the same LIKE PERRY. >> [applause] >> OKAY. AT THIS TIME would uh Melissa Williams please come forward? >> [applause] >> Good evening. I'm here again tonight not just to advocate for keeping our neighborhood school at Perry Elementary open, but to ask that we shift what we the way that we are approaching this financial

057challenge. We recognize that the district is working through difficult financial decisions and we respect the responsibility that comes with that. But how we respond to that deficit really matters. It matters just as much as the numbers themselves. And the current path being considered places that burden too heavily on students and families. Closing Perry Elementary or making cuts that directly impact students should not be the first solution. It should be the last after every other option has been fully and transparently and and fully and transparently explored. Less than 2 years ago a commitment was made to keep Perry open and to invest in it. >> [clears throat] >> That commitment was not just a decision on paper. It was a promise to children. A promise that school would remain stable and dependable, >> [clears throat] >>

058a place in their lives that they could trust. Families believed in that promise. Our children built trust in that promise. Reversing course now does more impact does more than impact a budget. It breaks that promise and undermines the stability and security that schools are supposed to provide. Before we consider decisions that disrupt children's relationships, routines, and learning environments, [clears throat] we need to fully explore operational efficiencies that often do not fall on students that are real responsible alternatives that deserve serious action. A thorough audit of administration and operational spending, identifying redundancies, reducing non-instructional expen- expenses, reevaluating consulting costs, and examining opportunities to reduce or eliminate the current administrative stipends where appropriate. A hard look at district-wide contracts and purchasing, renegotiating vendor agreements, and leveraging cooperative purchasing to find meaningful savings. Transportation and scheduling efficiencies, optimizing

059routes, and adjusting building start times so that students can ride together on shared buses instead of requiring separate routes, reducing overall transportation costs while maintaining service. And actively pursuing additional funding, grants, partnerships, and community collaborations that bring resources in rather than taking opportunities away. These are not easy solutions and they require leadership, transparency, and willingness to do the harder work. But they are the right work because they protect our students. Because at the center of this decision are not just buildings or balance sheets. It is Perry Elementary. It is the students who walk through those doors every day. It is the families who were told that they could count on this school being there. We are asking you respectfully, but firmly, to honor what promise you made to our children and fully exhaust every alternative

060>> [clears throat] >> to choose solutions that do not come at the expense of our students. Our community is paying attention and our families are engaged and we are asking that you lead in a way that reflects both fiscal responsibility and integrity. THANK YOU, MELISSA. >> [applause] >> OKAY, AT THIS TIME WOULD UH CATHERINE ENSLEY PLEASE COME FORWARD? >> [cheering] [applause] [laughter] >> YOU GOT CATHERINE ENSLEY. UH I TALKED AT MEETINGS AGAIN 2 years ago. I taught now. My I'm an easy one. I don't you know I don't come with a lot of numbers and stuff. And I I keep going back to my doctor tells me I have to stay positive, you know, good things, good vibes. So, I go back to a couple meetings ago when we talked about again the new board.

061You guys got questions, you just want to figure them out. And I encourage that again just like you've got questions, you want them answered. Um so, I hope that I mean there's some cool people that said some really good things back there. And I hope that they're giving you some of our input. Again, I know the 400 survey was a big deal. Uh but I got 400 people too that would 100% say that we should keep it open. And against the 56% that said that we shouldn't. So, um if you have any other questions, you know, I I we're supposed to email you guys. But we're the people that will sign up to show up for you. We're the people that'll be here if you need us. And our kids are showing up too, which

062I think is a really cool thing because Perry is a part of that. Um again, I'd like to take all the credit as a parent that I I'm awesome with my kids. But their teachers again encourage them to be brave and smart and speak their minds and feel safe to say how they feel. And again, some of the teachers, I haven't seen them speak in a lot of the meetings, you know, maybe afraid of how it would look. But they're speaking up because that's how we work as a community is when we can all talk together and we can be together and support each other. So again, I I don't feel Yeah, you know, your your jobs are hard. I I give all the compassion. I'm a religious woman. I pray for you all every

063day. And you still have a really good I think we have a good argument uh for Thursday. You know, I'm being really positive that we did it 2 years ago, 6-1. So, I'm praying we do it again. We still got till Thursday. So, uh just want to touch on two. Closing Perry doesn't have to be like the only option. There can be other options. I read what uh when we were doing the meetings, we wanted to have the three meetings to talk about some of the questions that you guys had. One of those questions is what like what are the tiers that we can go through for Perry? From minimal [clears throat] uh renovations to the most extreme of building like a two-tier building or something like that. So, I just really do hope that

064you're looking at all the options because closing Perry seems like going from we can keep it to now we're just going to shut it down. So, I I I pray and I hope that uh we can just maybe look at what we're going through too cuz I'm looking at what you guys are going through. And I just hope that we can make a really good decision for our community. >> [cheering] [applause] >> OKAY, AT THIS TIME UH >> [laughter] >> WOULD EMMA ENDSLEY PLEASE COME FORWARD? >> [screaming] [applause] >> HELLO, MY NAME IS EMMA. I'M IN FIFTH GRADE. And I've gone to Perry for 4 years. I'm here today to say how much of a great experience I've had at Perry. I'm also not saying this just for myself, but I really want my younger

065brothers to experience how fun this school is and all it has to offer. I really I really like how we all get to celebrate holidays for Christmas. And we all get to do secret santa and play really fun games. We celebrate everything. So, you're not just taking our school away, but it also feels like you're taking our family I would also like to say how important it is to keep us to keep a promise. You said that Perry would stay open even renovated. So, we just waited So, we just waited for nothing to happen, which makes me sad. Because this is the first school that I've ever felt comfortable with. So, all the numbers and cash is not competing against our love. Every dollar would be worth investing into Perry to keep OUR FAMILY TOGETHER.

066>> [cheering] [applause] >> THANK YOU, EMMA, FOR COMING FORWARD AND AND SHARING your thoughts with the board as well. Uh at this time, would Camilla Ooh, I'm going to uh butcher the last name. STANOJEVIC. OKAY. >> [laughter] >> OKAY, THANK YOU. UM I DIDN'T GO TO PERRY. I WENT TO THANK YOU. OKAY, my I didn't go to Perry. I went to Lincoln. And I'm currently in eighth grader. But I know I didn't go I I know I didn't go here, but I've had so many friends I met throughout my middle school years, which is sadly this is my last year. But I have so many friends that went to Perry. Every time we talk about elementary school, they always talk about how many good memories and like the best memories they've experienced in this building

067with the staff, with the special classrooms, and also other classes. All the other schools don't have positive news, which I know positive news, which I know Perry doesn't do anymore, but a lot of my friends enjoyed doing that. So, have so many good memories doing it. The videos on positive news are still up. And me and my friends go rewatch them like almost like every single day. Like we always laugh I My best friend's in the crowd. I always tease her about it. Um Uh Um by removing the school, I think if we really think about this deeply, we get a lot longer list of students in other elementary schools and classes. Like right now, like I know Lincoln when I used to go there, it was up to 30 kids. And if you think

068about it now, they're going to have to get reset boundary. They're going to have to reset a whole boundary and decide what school kids go to now. And then it's going to boost more kids. So, probably give us like maybe up to even 40 if you really think about it. Which also doubles our supplies like extra tissue boxes, which is sometimes difficult to get for others. Um It can get pretty difficult even sometimes even frustrating for making a new boundary. But Perry has definitely been given a good name to me. And I've never heard anything about like anything bad about staff or the building. Um Perry has definitely created a home for a lot of students and so many great memories. My best friend, which is here in the crowd, has younger siblings. And she

069wants them to experience what she had at this school. And since she already knows the staff, she feels safe with them. Her family knows them and everything. So, she feels confident saying that they're okay. Which is why I think Perry should STILL REMAIN OPEN. >> [applause] [applause] >> THANK YOU, CAMILLA. WOULD JESS LEONARD? >> [cheering and applause] >> I LOVE SEEING THIS KIND OF PASSION. Especially from all the kids. Like I'm very proud of you because it is very nerve-wracking coming up here. Um This This is very difficult. Um and I do apologize if I might be all over the place just like I was last night. Um Can I Can I see a show of the board hands? Who has children? You would move heaven and earth to if your children were were going

070through any of this. Um which is what we are here to do. >> [snorts] >> Um again, we are a passionate bunch. Um I mean absolutely no disrespect. I just I'm just going to say what I have to say. Um One thing that I have heard a lot of is these kids deserve more. They deserve a bigger library, cafeteria, kitchen, um playground. Like this is kids can have a little fence. Um the library, I asked my son about that just last night. Um we go to Ida a lot. You know which library he prefers? Not Ida. He has so much more fun at Perry. Um because that's just the community that we have. And that is how incredible that building and and this staff is. Um So, I really do disagree with the statement that

071these kids deserve more because every child in this district deserves what Perry has to offer. Um Absolutely. I would personally rather send my child to school um with an old building um and things going wrong rather than or and full of love and support rather than a five-star school. Um this staff the whole staff knows my 6-month-old daughter. A good portion of them have helped her. And not just a quick you know, oh hey. No, Mrs. Hurst held her for an HOUR WHEN >> [laughter] >> LIKE YOU KNOW, AND AND JUST SEEING her hold her, I'm going to be really bummed out if she's not going to be her kindergarten teacher. Um One thing that Mr. Kitson was saying um when the timer went off, and I I don't know if I'm finishing the statement

072for him. But uh you know, we lost Mrs. Hornback in November. Uh I forget what month it was when Seth Whitman lost their their principal. But wasn't it within 1 week that they had a replacement? So, it makes me think that this entire the entire 2 years was planned to close Perry. There's been no repairs. Um this has been this hearing process has been put together within 3 weeks and 4 days or something like that. Um And then And then the vote right afterwards. Boundaries have been redrawn. None of that happened 2 years ago. So, I can't help but think you guys your minds are made up. And I will finish on Thursday. Thank you, MS. MILLER. >> [applause] >> AT THIS TIME, WOULD JEN LITTLE PLEASE come forward? Hi. My name is Jen Little.

073I'm proud to have served D100 for 20 years as a special education teacher. Uh thank you for your time, service, and dedication as members of the board. Your efforts are sincerely appreciated. Uh I wanted to speak about my concern about the proposed closure of the oldest Belvedere neighborhood school, a community institution that has served students successfully since the early 1900s. As a special education teacher and case manager, I've witnessed firsthand the unique advantages that a small, tight-knit environment provides for students with significant learning needs. Perry Elementary School fosters strong relationships. Every teacher knows each student by name, and the entire building can collaborate daily to implement and adjust individualized education programs, uh behavior inter- intervention plans, classroom accommodations, and modifications. Uh from team problem-solving with lunchroom supervisors to help students gain independence in the lunchroom,

074to planning like sensory supports for students with autism, um I'm able to address immediate challenges effectively every day at Perry. Uh we conduct multiple PLCs each week across grade levels, allowing us to refine strategies in real time. This level of personalized support can be difficult to replicate in larger schools. I've taught at three other elementary schools in our district, and they too are working very hard to meet the needs of all their students. We have amazing, dedicated teachers and a satisfied community, which is evident from the love and concern. The advantages of a smaller school community should be valued and treasured. I believe the district has the capacity to maintain and even expand this model. Our students benefit from the short, manageable distances between their gen educa- general education classrooms, the resource room, to our

075specialist classes, including PE, music, and art, [clears throat] uh which fosters independence, and I see a reduction in transition anxiety. The close relationships among staff and students enable rapid problem-solving and creative skill development that the larger schools often cannot match. I've witnessed meaningful inclusion at Perry, which I know is something our district values and has committed to. While I recognize financial concerns are part of the decision-making process, >> [clears throat] >> the potential impact on students who rely on our individualized, community-based approach is profound. We have multiple students with IEPs who are currently 100% independent as they walk up to the office door entrance, um just a short distance away from their mom in the car or a neighbor that walks them to school, and I didn't anticipate the specialized transportation costs would increase if

076we moved some of our students to other buildings. I respectfully request I respectfully request that the board consider the unique, proven benefits of keeping the small school open for the continued success of its learners. Um I look at programs that we have at Everett High School and the success that they have gained attention for, and I wonder how profound the impact of a small building with a tight-knit staff and student community has on the students they support. And I wonder why we can't continue this at Perry. Thank you. Thank you, MS. MILLER. >> [applause] >> OKAY, AT THIS TIME, WOULD AMANDA HALLER please step forward? Well, I had a speech ready, and no, I think everyone has said it. Yeah. Everyone. [laughter] Um well, then I'm just going to pull out of my magic hat.

077Um last time I was standing up here, um 2 years ago, I was actually a renter in Perry District. Um September 18th, 2025, I purchased a house. 125-year-old house. If you look at all the houses on my block, they're as old as Perry. Please do not look at my house. My my house has been neglected >> [laughter] >> since 1978. Um thanks to crappy sellers who bought the house in 1978 and has done nothing to it. Um oh, they gave me a roof, but guess what? Roof wasn't put on correctly. So, I've looked into it, but I'm like, you know what? I'm going to put my money into this. This house is going to look amazing. Got to give it some love. We have a community that gives everything a love. Doesn't matter. That house

078has love already. And the best part of that house is where it sits. I can have my neighbor guaranteed I can guarantee you he is always out front my house to walk my daughter to school when I had broken my leg. Um that's when I broke my leg. Um I have a 5-month-old daughter at home. Well, it's the 20 -20° outside. Guess who's outside waiting for for my oldest to come out there to walk her to school. >> [laughter] >> If you separate us, I'm not going to have that. If they decide to go to a different school and I get stuck going to a different school, I don't have that option anymore. I'm a single parent. I work. I can work 50 hours a week, 60 hours a week. I'm on call. Reason why

079you guys haven't seen me at any board meetings is guess what? I'm working. I'm on call. I come here, what's going to happen? I don't know while I'm getting here and my phone's going to ring and be like, got to go. Thank you. Um And actually, my daughter is um she's in second grade. She is actually going to attempt her first public speaking, um which I'm pretty sure these teachers are probably like, this is the most shyest girl that they've ever met. Um thanks to Mrs. Hirsch. She has opened up this this child um in kindergarten. She cried. Um Mrs. Benali. Oh, I love you. I love you. >> [laughter] >> The those two are probably just involved. And then this is Kitzan. She knows uh Mika very well, too. So, and we're going to

080talk to you guys. Okay, thank you VERY MUCH, AMANDA. >> [applause] [clears throat] >> AT THIS TIME, WOULD MIKA HERZOG PLEASE COME FORWARD? >> [laughter] >> WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOUR TEACHERS AT PERRY? All of them? >> [laughter] >> Okay, do you want Ellie to stand with her? Do you want Ellie? I can go with her. Thanks. >> [laughter] >> This is what Perry's all ABOUT RIGHT HERE. >> [cheering] [applause] >> I THINK YOU'RE A GREAT GUY. >> [laughter] >> I DON'T KNOW IF I LOVE YOU. I DON'T KNOW if I do. The teachers at Perry are nice. They're nice, and um and my friends are also nice, and I love them. And I feel happy at school. Is that all you have to say? I don't know. You want to take this

081with you? And then also, my younger sister is going to be going to Perry for this [snorts] fall. YOU'RE FINISHED, OKAY. >> [applause] >> THANK YOU, MIKA, FOR COMING UP. THAT WAS REALLY BRAVE OF YOU. All right, would Mr. Dance Snow please come forward? Dan Snow, you guys see me before. Um a lot of the people have taken great um informational presentations. That's good stuff. Ferry and that being blamed, parking, and all that good stuff. A lot of good stuff. Um and whenever I hear any of this stuff, I yet to heard or hear anything derogatory about Ferry yet. And if there's a bunch of naysayers out there, they sure haven't bothered to show up. Um this issue of inequity between Ferry kids not having stuff that the other schools doesn't sound like they're have

082lacking. It sounds like the other schools are lacking what they have or don't have. Um and one of the things I wanted to bring up, I have yet to ever hear anything about scores um being poor or their performance of their students. Um they apparently outperform most of the other schools. Again, that's part of the problem with having or not a problem, but it's a good thing to have a community um school. Um I don't know why this uh has to be brought up. Two years ago it was brought up. Everybody thought it was a done deal. Um no offense to Miss Shrode. The um previous administration dropped the ball. Previous administration before that dropped the ball. She inherited it, but no offense, she and her gang all appear to have an agenda to close

083Ferry. You guys get spoon-fed what they, the staff and administration, want. Um again, we need to look beyond that. The money you guys are talking about spending on that building is a drop in the hat in your overall expenditures. So, PLEASE KEEP FERRY OPEN. >> [applause] >> THANK YOU, MR. SNOW. AT THIS TIME, WOULD Aaron Ariano please come forward? >> [applause] >> I'M GOING TO JUST GET TO WHERE I NEED TO BE HERE. I'M MRS. Aaron Ariano. I talked yesterday about my kids in Ferry. Today and Thursday, I'd like to go into a little more detail about our personal perks of the small school and loving community that is the Ferry community. My daughter is with me today. The only reason I'm brave enough to be up here is an honor roll student at Belvedere

084Central. She started kindergarten the school year of '19/'20. So, her first year of full-time school is when she left for spring break and didn't go back until January the following year. The teachers went above and beyond making sure these kids at home, not sure what was going on, not sure why they're not at school or not seeing their friends, but they felt safe. The teachers made them feel safe. The teachers kept them involved with Zoom meetings and everything they could do to make these kids feel safe and let them know that the teachers had their backs. School hasn't always been easy for my daughter. But in especially in those early years, she could not wait to come to school. When the school decided to open back up in person as an immunocompromised mom with a

085baby at home at the time, I was so nervous about her going back. I agonized over the right decision. And ultimately, [snorts] I let her decide. When I asked her, I couldn't even finish asking before she said she wanted to go back. She could not wait to go back. >> [laughter] >> She had the biggest smile on her face. She's loved every teacher that she's had. She's learned so much and grown as a person >> [snorts] >> in large part thanks to the teachers and honestly all the staff at Ferry. She is the bravest, coolest, most confident kid I know, and she was able to really figure out who she is in this elementary school with the safety and comfort of knowing all of the kids she's with. Some friends, some not, since kindergarten. And

086knowing that at the end of the day she could still be her truest self and she would be okay. Do you know what a gift that is for an 11-year-old girl starting middle school? Middle school is hard, right? >> [laughter] >> She made three of her best friends at Ferry. One moved to another town years ago. One goes to the other middle school this year, and one is still there. But thanks to our community, the friends of these girls and I are still friends. And so we're able to communicate and keep their friendship going. Even her friend that moved away when she was in first grade, she still shows up to every birthday party. She gets invited to her birthday parties. The friendship is there because of the family that is Ferry. When my daughter

087first started middle school, I had a couple issues with some kids and some little bit of bullying. She reached out to her old teacher from Ferry because that's where she felt safe. That's where she felt heard. She didn't go there anymore and she still emailed that teacher and the teacher responded and has been helping her work through this. That's the kind of school that Ferry is. That's the kind of community we are. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> [applause] >> AT THIS TIME, WOULD ESME Ariano please come forward? >> [applause] >> UM HELLO, MY NAME IS ESME ARIANO. And um uh I am a student at Ferry. I was in third and the other one was in kindergarten. I get home every day and walk and I walk through the door and I hear my little

088brother talk all about his day. My little sister is talking to me about all of the friends she made at Ferry. I walked home yesterday and my sister is proud cuz she's worried about her school closing down. My brother is sad because he's worried about not being able to see his friends. My siblings have made most of the friends they'll ever make in Ferry. If Ferry closes down, schools will have too many kids and kids will have a harder time making friends. I miss all my freshman friends at Ferry. One moved and one goes to the middle school and I and one is still here with me. I am friends with all three of these people today. I was having a great time at school in first grade. It was my goal to get a

089teacher at Ferry. I see all of them >> [clears throat] >> every day. Kids walking to Ferry. They don't feel safe. They know when they are safe. And if they are moved to a new school, they won't have to feel safe once again. My mother made her best some of her bestest friends back from Ferry. All of the teachers are super kind to everyone. And yes, school can be Stressful, but teachers are always making sure that they can calm down I really hope you all make the right decision on this because Ferry is the only school that OUR FAMILY LOVES. >> [applause] >> THANK YOU, ESME. AT THIS TIME, would Veronica Jonas please come forward? I think I got my tissues. >> [laughter] >> Hi, it's Megan. Megan, so continue. The concerns we have now

090are the same as they were two years ago when chain link improvements were made. Um no improvements were made to our school. Um in fact, Mrs. Schultz's first grade class had water leaking in during the last big snow um followed by the big rain. And after two years, the roof really should have been done. Um that should never have happened. But if it's a big problem, just fix the areas that need fixing. Don't do the whole roof. Just do the things that need fixing. That's all we're asking. Is do the necessities. Other concerns that are ours are the cafeteria gym. We don't need a dedicated cafeteria to um to teach kids. I had a cafeteria gym and stage combination where I was growing up, and it was a super rich town. They had lots of

091money. Nobody cared. Nobody complained. Um and it seemed it seemed normal to me. I hadn't seen it as anything any kind of problem. And it seems normal to them. They don't see a difference. They don't care. And yes, a kitchen would be nice, but a waste of money. Food being delivered to us is sufficient. The library doesn't need to be bigger. It is fine for my kids. And hey, there's a library down the street. They can go there if they need to, but they don't need to. They're fine with it. We also have a bus that comes a lot each month. They come to the school and they have fun. They get to go on the bus. They get to pick out their books. All right? So, our little school is just fine. Okay? We

092have a list of kids You know, we have a list of kids, a waiting list, of kids that want to go to that school and couldn't go because there wasn't enough space. But hey, there's a whole room [clears throat] right next to the kindergarten that's not been used at all. I don't know why that wasn't filled with the kids that want to go here because they could have. And I don't understand that at all. Now, kids, um what will losing this school look like for us? Kids with added expense, they um kids with added expenses bussing them to other schools, breaking up our community even more. Our neighbors may not be going to the same place, they'd be split up and the classes all split up. And how many buses and drivers will we need?

093We only need one for Perry, but three or four buses for three or four different schools at different times. Our kids now gather after school on the playground and under adult supervision, creating an even stronger bond between them. And in the new schools, our kids must leave immediately on a bus, no chance to bond with their classmates like now. Other teachers at the other schools were amazed, some of them anyway, were amazed that they're being listed as having room for more teachers and students cuz they don't think there's any room in their schools. Okay. Um Our neighborhood thrives. Okay. Our neighborhood thrives on the school and library and park nearby. And many moved here for the school and charming community. Is it the if the school shuts down, what happens? It lays abandoned. Vandals take

094over, windows break, vacant lot grows, and the park goes downhill with no upkeep. If it sells, they will not need the park. They will want to rebuild or make a building bigger and better, the parking lot, where people >> Thank you, Mrs. Jonas. Your time is now over. THANK YOU. >> [applause] >> AT THIS TIME, IS THERE ANY OTHER PERSON THAT would like to approach the board and make public comment at this time? If if you'd like, PLEASE COME FORWARD AND >> [applause] >> AND AS YOU COME UP, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND THEN PLEASE you'll have 3 minutes. All right. Candy Manaliam, I'm a third grade teacher at Perry. So, we've heard a lot about vision, equity, and the future in our school. And I want to ground what I say in the district's

095own words. As shared in the article, building belonging, how one school leader is designing schools for equity and wellness and student-centered learning, our very own Joan Armstrong said, "We want our kids to feel like school is a place that they want to be." >> [clears throat] >> That's not just an aspiration. I think we can all agree that it's a responsibility. And at Perry, it's already a reality. Perry's not just a building. It's a place where our students feel known, safe, and connected. Our school feels like a home, not an institution. And that matters more than any blueprint or renovation plan ever could. When students feel that sense of belonging, they thrive. We proved that. And at Perry, that belonging is deeply rooted and has been that way for over 100 years. We're a true

096neighborhood school. Our families can walk their children to school and there's no need for bus rides or complicated transportation. That daily accessibility matters, not just for convenience, but for connection. Because something special happens outside our doors every single day. Before and after school, parents and teachers naturally come together. Conversations happen, relationships are built, and support systems form in real time. This isn't something that's scheduled or forced. It's organic and it allows families and educators to work as a true team for our students. That kind of partnership cannot be recreated in a larger, more centralized setting. It grows from proximity, familiarity, and years of trust, all the things that Perry already has. If we're serious about equity, then we must recognize that equity is not just about new buildings or redesigned spaces. As highlighted in that

097very same article, the goal is to create environments where students feel a sense of belonging and connection. Perry already provides that. And most importantly, something I've heard from my third graders every single day since learning their school might get closure again, our students don't want to go anywhere else. So, if the goal is to create schools where children feel like they belong, where they want to be, then we already have a model right in front of us. The question isn't whether Perry fits the vision. The question is, why would you close a school that already achieves that? Thank you, MRS. JONAS. >> [applause] >> IT'S NICE TO SEE ALL OF YOU THIS EVENING. MY NAME IS Julie Scheffler. Um I'm speaking tonight because I feel like my my representation hasn't been seen. So, just to

098give you an idea, my husband and I moved here to this community in 1995 with the intention of starting a family and putting our roots here. We liked what we saw, we enjoyed the people that we met, we loved the community as a whole. I'm the second oldest of nine children. My six younger siblings have went through the Belvidere school district. Um we've had three generations go through the school district and those three generations have also been involved with Perry school and the teachers and educators that are there, which is amazing. I can't tell you the number, the thousands of dollars I spent on $20 candles and $10 rolls of wrapping paper >> [laughter] >> because we were supporting our students in those little small schools that made a difference and molded them into the

099individuals they are today. And I'm very proud of them. So, according to your studies, um because I'm an empty nester, I'm a taxpayer, I should be in the majority that wants to shut this school down. But instead, I'd like to speak for the other residents that were not represented out of the 25,000 residents of Belvidere that were not surveyed or represented in your small study. So, this community is about roots. Brick and mortar has dollar signs. What's inside that brick and mortar, you cannot put a price on. And it's unfair to try to compare the two. In my professional career, I advocate for adults living in long-term care. I'm a program director for a federal program that covers nine counties. In that nine counties, I have 8,400 adults that I'm responsible for and my team

100is for advocating. Those individuals have federal rights and state laws that protect them from changing their room in long-term care without their wish. It's amazing to me how our other vulnerable population, our children, our future, they don't have the same rights to decide if their rooms are being changed in a way that they should. So, simply stated, I guess I'm standing here to say, you really have two choices. They're both hard, but I'd like you to choose your hard wise. Because the consequences, whether good or bad, are going to leave a lasting effect on this community and those of us who have dedicated our families and our lives here. And Perry is part of that. So, please don't just use your financial brain when you're making this decision, because I guarantee you, I've been involved

101in local elections that did not have this many voters turn out to vote. And you've got representation here standing up for this school that needs to be accounted for. Thank you, MRS. SCHEFFLER. >> [applause] [applause] >> HI, MY NAME IS DIANA GILLIAN and I'm a fourth grade student at Perry Elementary. Um I think that Perry school Wait, I The other schools, I think that the other schools get more funds at than Perry and better maintenance, too. I love this school very much along with all the students and teachers. And I also think that there that the other schools have better stuff stuff than Perry and some people may think that Perry's just a school, but it is much more. Our school may be small, but we have everything that we need. I've known a lot

102of people at Perry for a long time and I've wanted to stay that way. I love people and all the teachers and staff. Perry isn't just a school, it is a home and a family. THANK YOU, DIANA. >> [applause] >> YES, WE DO. I AM JOAN JONAS >> [applause] >> FOR MY FAMILY. >> [laughter] >> UM I'M A teacher and you'd think I would not be nervous up here, but Um my name is Susan Thomas. This is my 26th year in the district, 19 of which I've been at Perry Elementary. I would like to offer you all a timeline starting back before all of were a part. 2007, Belvidere North is built leading to financial strain on District 100 100 to cover operational costs. Following a failed property tax referendum and cutting extracurricular activities ploy,

103the district adopted a 2.2 million deficit plan to operate both high schools. >> [clears throat] >> 2008-2009, Perry Elementary received the Spotlight School Award in both years. Perry was recognized for outstanding performance in the Illinois Honor Program, which highlights schools that are closing the achievement gap. 2008 award specifically recognized that at least 60% of students passed state tests in reading and math, even with the high poverty student population. 2010, a new superintendent is hired. 2012, the addition of Belvidere North continues to create financial challenges. District faces a reduction of a 45 million budget shortfall. 2013, both Perry and Kish are put on the chopping block to help with this. Sadly, Kish was closed. I'm going to tell you right now, there are three of us that are still at Perry that were there that night.

104And Holly, we know. That's all I'm going to say about that. We know. 2013, oh, and Perry repairs and yearly upkeep begins to be an issue after that. 2013 to 2021, admin changes at Perry, Perry upkeep is now completely on the back burner. At the end of the school year, a third grade teacher chooses to leave the district. At this point, Perry had two sections each grade level. For some reason, it's decided this teacher will not be replaced, and the cutting down of sections begins. 2022, new superintendent hired. Um, that's when we first started hearing whispers of Perry closing. Not saying it was you, I'm just saying we heard the whispers. We had a kindergarten teacher that was forced transferred to Lincoln Elementary to teach dual language. She is not replaced despite an overflow of

10510 students at that point in the registration process. The other kindergarten is full at 25. There are 10 Perry students forced to go to different school. Third grade is full at 30 with no other move-ins or transfers allowed because there's only one section. First grade teacher leaves the district at the end of that year, is not replaced. 2024, kindergarten is still at 25 students, eight overflowed, not allowed to come to Perry due to one section. First grade full, not able to take in any transfers or move-ins due to one section. Admin and Board of Ed for the second time bring Perry to the chopping block citing diminishing class sizes, extreme repairs needed. May 2024, Board of Education votes 6 to 1 to invest in Perry, keep it open. 2024-2025, Perry now down to one section,

106three grades. Going to finish. Kindergarten only has 12 or has 12 students overflow. I I can go on. There's just two more years. >> [cough] >> I just want to end with this. My concern is that this constitutes a pattern. When the money you supposedly save by closing Perry is spent on a brand new building for early childhood, which school will be the next to pay the price? I would not wish the neglect that Perry has had to deal with on anyone else because this has BEEN AN AGONY. >> [applause] [applause] >> AT THIS TIME, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE BOARD? HI, I'm Hannah Kael, I'm Ryder's mom. And I actually spoke to all of you before you guys even voted on doing the public hearing. Um, but what I

107spoke to you about was the special education because there was a lot of rumors going on that were not true or accurate. And I spoke about my daughter. So, tonight I have brought my son, and I told him his little voice means just as much as all of your big voices. Meaning now, I stand up here because if I can tell my 10-year-old that his voice matters, then my voice matters. I've went to two meetings prior to speaking to you, and as you can tell, we've been known as famous ones. And Teresa, you guys tell everybody, like, "Oh, there's the famous ones." Because we're silent supporters. Um, let me talk to you about my son. He had a Mrs. Green, who I believe now is over at Lincoln, which is with the new boundaries lines,

108supposedly, an option for my daughter. That was hell. I want to tell that, and I and I mean it when I say that that Mrs. Green's class was hell. Um, Mr. Mandera, who I've heard is still in the district, was the principal of Perry at the time. Working with him was hell. Okay? I remember pulling Ryder out of kindergarten at the end of his kindergarten year two months prior to it being done. Because he was being told that he needed to be put on pills at the age of five. She was um putting him by himself at a table, and and you know, not including him with others because he talked too much. I went to Mr. Mandera on multiple occasions, even had my husband sit in on a phone call because I was scared

109I was going to go to jail, okay? Um, made the choice [snorts] to pull him out. My parents convinced me to give Perry another chance. Therefore, I did. And I got blessed with Mrs. Manalli. And let me tell you, that was a very scary year. When your kid has been bullied by a teacher, you don't know what to do. But I trusted Mrs. Manalli, and she has made my son thrive. And then from Mrs. Manalli, he went to Mrs. Kidson, where he completely flourished. And then from Mrs. Kidson, he went over to Cameron, who, oh my god, gave him so much um support in his sports, built his confidence so much so that this year, my 10-year-old, at the age of nine, age of nine, August of last year, got on an 11U baseball team

110as the primary catcher for the Belvidere Bolts baseball team. All because Mrs. Cameron spoke into him, "You can do anything that you put your mind to." And I'm going to tell you right now, my daughter is autistic. I came up here, I talked to you guys about it. Every one of those teachers watched my child grow up. She [snorts] they'd known her. Miss Patty met my daughter at a month old, fresh out of me. I [laughter] met her at the school for registration information, and I walked in with a stinking brand new baby because I missed the deadline. Can I finish? I guess my point is he, I don't think, would have went back to the school if I didn't have the support that Perry. And I don't talk about that very often because it

111was a negative experience with Perry. His first year was really rough. And I will be damned if my autistic daughter has the same first year of her primary elementary school that my son did. And if I get Mrs. Green's name Oh, jeez. as her kindergarten teacher. Now, I want all of you to look at me, and I want all of you to hear me. Mrs. >> I will be back. Hannah. Mrs. Kael. I will be back at this board meeting. >> We will be talking further. >> Thank you very much for being here this evening. Is there anyone else that would like TO COME UP? >> [applause] >> CAN I SAY SOMETHING? YES, PLEASE COME FORWARD. >> [laughter] >> OKAY, is it okay? About this school, it's Perry. We love everyone that's in this school.

112And the teachers are the best, our friends are the best, and we just love this school. We don't want this school to go down because it's kind of the best school I EVER HAD. >> [applause] >> HOW CAN I NOT SPEAK AFTER THAT AMAZING SPEECH? YEAH, that was the best speech I've ever Um, I wasn't going to speak tonight. I was done. And then I was coming back from track from North, and I heard Jace speak. And I had the privilege of being his teacher, and I cannot tell you or express to you enough at what a big deal that is for him to come up here and him to speak in front of you. Um, Emma Ensley, she is like my hero. Um, she does not want her name called for any recognition at

113this time. She does not want to be put in the spotlight. She does not She just wants to be there and do her job, and she's a wonderful, wonderful young lady. And for her to stand up here and to speak to you, then, you know, I got to do it. Um, I teach all of my children, my own children, I have six, and all of my other children, I have hundreds that I have um hopefully impacted for better. Um, but they get to own their impact. And I have students [clears throat] who are graduating senior class this year, and they'll be like, "Yeah, I really, you know, I'm really glad you taught me to own my impact." And so, I can't sit here and not um say something. And so, I am going to talk

114really quick as a parent cuz I live in the neighborhood. I can walk to school. My kids, that is my school. And when I first started in Belvidere, I worked at Lincoln, and my kids got to go to school with me. So, when I left to go work at a different organization, my kids had to go to their neighborhood school, and I was pissed. [clears throat] I walked into Perry, and I was like, "Are you kidding me? Like, this is what this school is? Like, this is where my kids are going to go after being at Lincoln?" and it was shiny and it was we had huge art rooms and all of the things. I will tell you I will stand on this. I would not change it for the world. I would not give

115up anything. Sorry. Because my children are cared for. And I know they would be cared for in other schools, but you do not understand the capacity in which these people take care of children in this building. They also I can't You should survey teachers. If there's any teacher that tells you they want their kid to be in a classroom of 30, they're lying. They're scared to tell you the truth. I would rather my daughter be in a classroom of 15, 17, 20, 20, 22 than 30 any day of the week. You can have your gym and have your kitchen. You can have whatever you want. I would 100% give all of those things up in a heartbeat to have my children continue to be in a classroom of small capacity. Really quick. I understand that

116putting that amount of money into that very old, significant, historical building does not seem logical. I get it. I see that viewpoint, right? However, I think we have to put the building aside and you have to think about the impact that you are able to have for children not only if the ones at Perry currently, but in this district to have those small class sizes and to have that experience and to be able to succeed the way that our students succeed both socially and emotionally and academically. Thank you, MRS. CAMERON. >> [applause] >> HI, I'M TERESA BEANIK and those two little kitties are mine. And [snorts] I just want to say I totally understand this the money aspect of what you guys are going through. But when my with my experience, I am a foster

117mother and adopted all my children. I have four, but I continue to want to help anyone that possibly can be helped. And when my children started at Perry, they were lucky enough to have Mrs. Hirsch. And they went from very shy and introverted and weak to well, the little spitfires you see there now. >> [laughter] >> And then it went from Mrs. Hirsch on up, Mrs. Cameron, Mrs. Allwin, the wonderful gym teacher that I hear about every single day. >> [laughter] >> Um and all of their friends. Um when I was getting out side of um Mrs. Hirsch's kindergarten class when um my daughter Bella was in her class, I started talking to the moms and we started becoming closer and closer and closer. By the end of the year, we were family. And we

118still are today and if any one of them needed something from me, I would be there for them. And and I ate my best friend and my ride or die at Perry as well. Perry is not just a school like everyone has been telling you. And I hope that you keep that in mind because I'm looking at all your faces, every single one of you and I feel as though you're just sitting there and you're sitting there and you're not taking us seriously, but we are family and Perry is our home. And my son who is now in Mrs. Hirsch's class, he loves her more than anything on this planet and I have one more son that I want her to teach. And he says to me, "Mom, there's my home. That's where I live."

119He's 6 years old and he doesn't understand a lot, but what he does know is that Perry is his home. And that's where the people that love him are at and that's where he wants to stay with his friends at his home with Mrs. Hirsch and all the other loving teachers. So please, please, please when you're talking to each other, please keep that in mind. Okay? It may be a building to you and it may be an a big, huge financial issue, but it's our home. Thank you. THANK YOU, TERESA. >> [applause] >> MY NAME IS MONICA BONSTEEL. I'M A MOM. THIS isn't easy for me to say. Forgive me if I get emotional, but my husband and I moved to Belvidere in 1998 and the reason we bought our house is because of Perry

120school. We heard so many good things about it. We were planning on adopting some children and we wanted our children to go to Perry. Um our oldest daughter started school in 2005 and she was one of those kindergarteners that the minute she let go of mom's hand, she was crying. She would start crying. Mrs. Green would take her and let her shadow her around the school room until she was comfortable and she could sit down and relax and [snorts] and she was fine. Um that shy little girl just thrived at Perry. Um she was >> [clears throat] >> very um timid and shy, but um she was good at running. She was very athletic. But she wasn't very confident in her ability until Mr. H encouraged her to run. And because of Mr. H, she

121was a track star at North for all four years. And also she also got a really good scholarship at a college. And that meant so much to Grace that at her college signing, she invited Mr. H to be there. And our youngest daughter was um just the opposite. She was very outgoing. Uh she would we had to pick her up at school every day, five days a week because she was in some club. She was definitely enjoying her, but a little school like Perry and there was gardening club, guitar club, art club, cooking club. And this was a very small school, but we they had the resources because the teachers took their own personal time to give the kids what they needed. And she's now enrolled in a full scholarship at an art school because

122of her art teacher and the time that they took for I've been a noon aide at Perry for 10 years. I was a noon aide at Southeast, too. Um I liked Southeast. I enjoyed the work there. But what I like about Perry is because we are a small school, the noon aides can get in and get involved with the kids. We do if they teachers need laminating, we do that. >> [clears throat and cough] >> If a teacher needs some help in their classroom with something, we can do that. And not only does help the teachers, but it helps us to be able to get to know the kids. If a kid is having a bad day, the teachers can say, "Well, you need to watch out for so-and-so because they're having a bad You

123know who these kids are. And we know that, you know, their families. We know all about them. And my son went to a large school and they don't have that. You don't have that one-on-one connection and I would hate to see that be lost for these kids. Thank you. THANK YOU, ELAINE. >> [applause] >> AT THIS TIME, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO approach the board with public comment? Okay. Is there a motion to adjourn the meeting? I'll make a motion. Second. Okay. Remember De Simone made the motion. Remember Piggy seconded the motion to adjourn the meeting. All those in favor, say aye. Aye. Those opposed, say nay. Okay. The meeting adjourned at 7:26 p.m.