GF Northside Neighborhood Schools Staying Open

• Wilder Elementary School

Wilder Elementary School

Talk about it

GRAND FORKS, ND (WDAZ-TV) - Near northside neighborhood parents feel they're the ones who convinced the demographic task force to not close neighborhood schools. The task force reccommended the district re-draw lines along with a few other things this evening.

Emotions were up and down Tuesday evening as parents opened the four hour discussion with personal stories and feelings toward closing neighborhood schools. At the end of the meeting, most were smiling ear to ear.

"I fear for this, for Grand Forks, for riverside, for the near north and most importantly for Max and Zoey so I ask you as a teacher, as a community member, and as a parent to please take this into consideration today as you're deliberating the fate of our schools," said parent, Nikki Berg-Burin.

Nikki Berg-Burin and other Northside parents brought up every scenario as to why closing Wilder, Winship, and other neighborhood schools would be a bad decision.

"Neighborhood schools is such a strong asset to our community, I think that's one of the reasons why, they say we have no bad neighborhoods in Grand Forks," said parent, Justin Berry.

"Well we were anticipating that our evidence based arguments would actually carry the day and the task force seemed to concur with those decisions or those arguments," said parent, Erin Burin.

Statistics that have been presented for weeks by parents, and concerns for safety are believed to be the reasons why the task force decided to redraw Winship lines and to not close Wilder Elementary.

"Certainly parents are relieved, this is one step in the process it still has to go through the school board as a preliminary recommendation and then we'll be discussed at the public forum," said Assistant Superintendent and Task Force member, Jody Thompson.

Task Force members also recommended to close an air force base school, Carl Ben Eielson, and send those students next door to Twining in the fall.

"We should be able to do without too much issue," said Thompson.

As well as re-drawing south-end middle and high schools, the school district may vote to build another south-end elementary school next week.

"Well naturally we're pleased and we think this decision is the best decision for Grand Forks," said Burin.

The task force sifted through more than 60 scenarios to close and or re-draw area schools. The recommendations made today will be presented to the school board next Monday.

Tags: neighborhood schools, demographic task force, jody thompson, melanie orlins, reporter stories, grand forks, wilder, winship, near-northside, south-end, updates, news