There was no news conference to announce that Newport Elementary School would remain open. South Washington County Schools made no formal announcement about the fate of the school.
But this spring, the school board unanimously approved a document in its facilities planning process that included this statement: "We will not bring forth a plan that closes any elementary school."
"It's a huge relief," said Hoyam Elkhedir, who has two children at Newport Elementary. "We feel like our voice was heard, finally. And to be honest, there is no reason to close it."
The shift in the district's proposal marks a hard-won victory for the community. Newport Elementary is the district's most diverse elementary school, where more than half the students are children of color. About 62% qualify for free or reduced-price lunches, and 18% are English language learners.
While many districts struggle with declining enrollment and budget cuts, the South Washington County district faces the opposite problem: new housing developments and population growth.
Last year, the school board approved a $462 million facilities plan — which would have been the largest in state history — to help address overcrowding, primarily at high schools and middle schools. Newport Elementary was slated to close and become an early learning center.
But voters rejected that plan in August, forcing district officials to start the planning process again. This time, everyone says, they listened to what voters would support.
"There was a lot of opposition in the community to closing a school," said Shawn Hogendorf, communications and community relations director for the South Washington County district. "We heard what the community said, and we changed course."