Stop closing our schools! Rescind your decision to close Franklin Elementary School.
Why is this important?
The Jacksonville School District 117 in Jacksonville, Illinois, has implemented drastic austerity measures that include CLOSING some neighborhood elementary schools. We urge Jacksonville School District 117 to renovate ALL Elementary Schools instead of closing any of them. Closing neighborhood schools is detrimental to neighborhoods, lowers property values, and decreases the neighborhood population over time. Closing a school is a permanent action that harms education. It also threatens neighborhoods by reducing property values, causing an exodus of homeowners, and eliminating a community focal point. Studies show smaller neighborhood schools help to reduce the achievement gap, provide better education, and bridge socio-economic differences. Neighborhood schools are sites of educational excellence, and are anchors for their neighborhoods and our historic districts. By signing this petition, we, the homeowners, parents, business owners and residents of Jacksonville, Illinois, want the Jacksonville School District 117 Board Members, and Administration, to know that we OPPOSE any plans to close Jacksonville's Neighborhood Elementary Schools, and ask the School Board to rescind their decision to close Franklin Elementary School.
