School closure comments

[Christina Berkowitz]

I would like to submit comments to support keeping Seawell Elementary School open. 

1. Of the three schools under consideration, Seawell serves the most diverse population of students, including significantly more lower income and disabled students than Glenwood in particular. The closure of Seawell would cause a large disruption to our district's most vulnerable populations. 
2. Seawell is in a walk zone for our neighborhood and many others nearby. There is a greenway trail through the woods for students to walk or ride their bikes to school safely, which is a very unique and valuable asset. Especially with the shortage of bus drivers, having a safe way for kids to walk or bike to school is extremely important. Glenwood's location makes safely walking or biking very difficult, with many street crossings. I went to Glenwood as a child and so I know this first hand.
3. Seawell's location along a corridor with Smith Middle and Chapel Hill High is a huge asset to our community. These schools are able to seamlessly interact with one another. As a student at Chapel Hill High I was able to take a course called Students Helping Students where I tutored kindergarten students who were struggling with reading. The children from Seawell can walk down to Smith to tour their new middle school when they reach 5th grade (and were able to use the middle school space when a fire caused partial closure of the school without having to change student transportation). Graduating high schoolers from CHHS parade through Seawell every year, providing inspiration and a true sense of community for the younger children. It would be a huge loss to no longer have this three-school connected unit in our district.
4. Seawell's emphasis on outdoor learning spaces is unique. The critter corner and learning garden, as well as the connection to the trails in Carolina North Forest provide a connection to nature and the outdoors not found at other schools.

I urge the board to carefully consider these many factors and keep Seawell Elementary open.

Thank you,

Christina Berkowitz