After a month of discussion, the Alachua County School Board met Tuesday night ahead of a final vote expected on Marth 12 on the district’s school rezoning plan.
Staff presented updated maps, which show four elementary schools are still under consideration for closure.
Stephen Foster, Alachua, Irby and Williams elementary schools are still being considered for closure.
Julia Gatson, a teacher at Stephen Foster Elementary School for 20 years, said she is worried about the future plans.
“Where are our kids going to go? Are they going to walk two miles to go to the new school? No plans have been shared with us," she said. "The lack of transparency it's also been, is causing everybody more distress.”
Board Member Leanetta McNealy spoke out against closing any schools.
"School closures tend to weaken both neighborhood stability and student outcomes," she said.
After reviewing the updates, the board debated over whether to keep Rawlings and Duval elementary schools in east Gainesville open.
Chair Thomas Vu showed support for closing Williams Elementary.
The board is proposing to combine Newberry Elementary, which is over capacity, with Oak View Middle School creating a K-8 combined school that will bring the enrollment to 105%.
The rezoning is part of the district’s plan to address capacity issues due to declining enrollment by rightsizing its schools and improving facilities and school programs.
Parents raised concerns about possible transportation changes and asked for more discussion before a final decision is made.
Some parents urged board members to pause the process and avoid voting at the special school board meeting March 12.