Community Voices: "Our schools are perhaps Lakewood’s finest asset. Taxpayers have spent lavishly and unflinchingly to build structures that we are rightly proud of."

Lakewood resident Bonnie Sikes made the following comments at Lakewood City Council's meeting on Monday, September 15, 2025.

You are no doubt aware of the discussions concerning the possible closing of an elementary school. 

While the decision rests with the School Board, it is also very much a whole community issue. Elected officials do not operate in a vacuum, and a school closure will run counter to priorities that the City Council has publicly supported.

Safety:  In 2024 you passed the Active Transportation and Safety Action Plans which prioritize traffic safety.  Closing a school will mean more children crossing busy streets as well as increased vehicle traffic as more parents drive their children farther distances to elementary schools and to the proposed centralized preschool. Both outcomes increase the risk of accidents and undermine your stated goals of safer streets.

Climate Action Plan:  In 2023 you adopted this wise plan with a stated aim to reduce automobile use and promote walking and biking for children and families.  Closing a school will result in more and longer car trips and greater emissions, thereby defeating those admirable goals.

Population:  We are always on the cusp of the 50,000 population threshold which determines access to certain grants to the city.  We must stay above that number.  Closing a school raises a red flag to potential families looking for quality school districts.  They could easily choose a different community and in addition we could lose current family residents.

If the School Board is considering something that runs counter to your enacted policies, it is time for you to have a discussion with their members.  Prior to the School Board vote in October please strategize with them to explore ideas like attracting new residents to Lakewood. Let’s market our city and send the message that we are a dynamic walkable community instead of turning our backs on what has given value to Lakewood for decades. 

Our schools are perhaps Lakewood’s finest asset.  Taxpayers have spent lavishly and unflinchingly to build structures that we are rightly proud of.  Resorting to the drastic measure of closing an elementary school would not only negatively impact the families in that neighborhood, but the entire Lakewood community as well.  Once a school is closed, it is not coming back.

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