ROCKFORD, Mich. — The Rockford Public Schools Board of Education voted Monday evening to approve the closure of Parkside Elementary School, a decision that has sparked emotional reactions from both the community and the board members themselves. The vote passed 4-3, with plans to relocate students from Parkside to Valley View Elementary and repurpose the Parkside building as an early childhood learning center.
The emotional meeting, which stretched late into the evening, began with a proposal to move public comment to before the vote, but the motion was not approved. After other business was handled, Superintendent Dr. Steve Matthews presented a proposal outlining the process that led to the recommendation, as well as responses to community questions that had arisen since the announcement in early February.
Following Matthews’ presentation, a representative from Organize Parkside, a community group opposing the closure, detailed the potential negative impact of similar closures in other districts. This included concerns about how such changes have affected students and families in districts Dr. Matthews had previously overseen before coming to Rockford.
The board’s deliberations were tense, with members voicing concerns about the speed of the decision-making process. Trustee Tricia Anderson, who voted against the proposal, expressed reservations about the lack of time for proper review and the decision’s rushed nature. “I don’t feel that we had enough time,” Anderson said. “My question is why didn’t we put this through committees like we did so many other things?”
In response, Matthews defended the decision to bypass the committee process, stating that the board’s existing committee structure was not suitable for addressing the issue at hand.
Supporters of the proposal, including the board members who voted in favor, highlighted the potential benefits of consolidating early childhood services and placing students in more peer-supported environments. Proponents pointed out that Parkside had multiple single-section grade levels, which posed challenges for students and teachers. By consolidating these grade levels and expanding early childhood services, the district hoped to create a more interactive and supportive learning environment for younger students.
“This decision was not made lightly,” Board President Jarrod Folsom remarked after the vote, acknowledging the significant emotional weight of the outcome. “But we believe this plan will help us create better educational opportunities for the children in our district.”
The closure of Parkside Elementary is set to take effect at the start of the 2025-26 school year.
The vote in Rockford follows a similar situation in the Grand Haven Public Schools, where the school board was also deliberating on the redistricting of students at Mary A. White Elementary to make room for the consolidation of early childhood services. As of late Monday evening, the Grand Haven vote had not yet been concluded.
