Concerns loom large over the potential closure of Read-Patillo Elementary School in New Smyrna Beach, as parents, teachers, and the local community rally to prevent the shutters from falling on a cherished institution that has served generations of students. The announcement of the proposed closure has left many feeling blindsided, as they claim they were not given adequate notice or opportunity for input.
The matter, up for discussion during the school board meeting on Tuesday night, has ignited a passionate response from parents who have created a petition garnering over 1,400 signatures by Tuesday afternoon. They express a collective sentiment of being caught off guard and unheard in the decision-making process.
While several other schools in the county have been under consideration for rezoning in recent months, the potential closure of Read-Patillo Elementary came as a shock even to school board member Jessie Thompson. Thompson voiced her surprise, saying, “The interesting thing is that when the agenda went out last Tuesday, it did have that slide on it, but then you saw the closure of Read-Patillo, which I believe was news to all of us.”
Thompson pointed out the lack of lead time for parents and school staff to respond effectively to the proposed closure. The agenda item lists seven safety concerns as the basis for shutting down the school, leading to heightened community anxiety.
Thompson commented, “It’s one thing to jump from repairs, safety, and security, which was the initial talk, to closure. That’s a big jump.”
Parents conveyed that they learned about the impending closure via social media and were yet to receive official communication from the district, further adding to their frustration.
Christi Franz, a concerned parent with deep ties to the school, having been a former student herself and now having children enrolled there while other family members teach at the institution, emphasized the urgent need for repairs. She lamented the neglect, saying, “The maintenance repair requests were little, but now because of the lack of maintenance, now they’re big.”
Danielle Sandhagen, the school’s PTA president, referenced a capital projects list approved by the school board in 2014 that identified eight schools in need of repair. She noted that all other schools on the list have either undergone significant renovations or complete rebuilds, while Read-Patillo Elementary remains overlooked.
The presentation detailing the closure in the agenda specifies that the projected 357 students who would have attended Read-Patillo in the 2024-2025 school year would be redirected to Chisolm or Edgewater Elementary. However, both of these schools are already operating beyond capacity, with over 500 students.
As New Smyrna Beach experiences substantial growth in the Edgewater and Oak Hill areas, which is expected to result in a significant influx of new families, board member Thompson proposed Read-Patillo Elementary as a viable solution to accommodate the burgeoning student population. The potential closure of the school has ignited a passionate debate over the future of education in the community, with parents and advocates demanding transparency and a fair chance to address the concerns surrounding Read-Patillo Elementary School’s future.
