Parent group reacts to options for keeping Lynchburg elementary schools open

LYNCHBURG, Va. (WFXR) — “There’s still no plan for these children and you can’t leave kids without a school,” said Colleen Larkins, a member of Save Our Schools.

The group was founded after Lynchburg City Schools announced Sandusky and T.C. Miller Elementary Schools would close.

Now she’s optimistic as the city council weighs options to keep both open for another year.

“We need to slow this whole thing down and rethink this whole strategy,” she said.

She says another year will allow the community to figure out new solutions. Parents and staff have been claiming since the announcement last fall that no plans have been set to relocate the school communities.

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The school district previously said it needed a little over $3 million from the city to keep those schools open, but the city took a hardline with the school’s 2025 budget. Last week, the council announced they were searching for the money to keep the two schools open.

City money managers offered up two options at a work session Tuesday night. Their “best case scenario” is the school district getting the money from the state. The other option accounts for about half of the shortfall from the state while the city pulls the rest from ongoing projects.

“This next year, starting the clock today, we need to come together as a community,” said Larkins. “How and what is the best plan to move forward?”

The city council is set to make a decision in their May 14 meeting.

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