"School board officials in the Cleveland suburb of Lakewood recently voted 4-1 to convert Lincoln Elementary school into a centralized early learning center, and re-direct all pre-kindergarten children from their neighborhood schools to there - a small but seismic change that advocates say will effectively sacrifice district's identity as a "walking school district" where virtually every student can access the classroom on foot."
"Proponents of the move say that many Lakewood schools are operating at just two-thirds of their total capacity on average, and that enrollment is unevenly distributed, with some schools operating near-full and others near-empty. Opponents, though, argue that that the city of nearly 50,000 could redraw its school boundaries without ceding its status as a leader in the national Safe Routes to Schools movement."
Lakewood school board voted 4-1 to convert Lincoln Elementary into a centralized early learning center and redirect all pre-kindergarten children to that site. Proponents cite underused capacity and uneven enrollment, noting many schools operate at about two-thirds capacity while others are near-full or near-empty. Opponents contend that the city of nearly 50,000 could redraw boundaries instead of centralizing, preserving its leadership in the Safe Routes to Schools movement. Critics warn that eliminating neighborhood access will reduce walkability, weaken parental connection points, diminish children’s independence and social skills, and sacrifice neighborhood "third places" that support development.
Read at Streetsblog
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