Statement of Harlem Dist. 122 Teachers Union President on the School Board Proposal to Close Two Elementary Schools
- IFT
- 3 minutes ago
- 1 min read
Machesney Park, IL - Elana Schelling-Tufte, president of the Harlem Federation of Teachers, Local 540, issued the following statement tonight after the Harlem Dist. 122 school board announced a plan to close Maple and Olson Park Elementary Schools in Machesney Park.
“Our union is deeply concerned about the plan the board announced tonight to close two elementary schools, restructure the remaining buildings, and significantly reduce Early Childhood offerings.
“We understand that Dr. Yarbrough and district administrators are facing real financial challenges in a difficult and uncertain political climate. Still, it is frustrating and disheartening to see multiple school closures as the solution. Children should not have their educational experience turned upside down. And families deserve more investment in our public schools, not less. Our union is committed to ensuring that the district prioritizes student needs and stability for the educators and school staff who give their all every day for our students and families.
“Harlem District 122 should never have been placed in this position. Like many districts across Illinois, we remain seriously underfunded, currently at just 81% of adequacy. We urge lawmakers in Springfield to uphold their commitment to fully fund public schools under the Evidence-Based Model. Until that happens, decisions like these will continue to affect students, families, and entire communities as we are seeing here in Harlem.”
The Harlem Federation of Teachers (HFT) represents nearly 1,000 teachers and paraprofessionals who serve more than 6,000 K-12 students in Harlem Dist. 122 schools. The HFT is an affiliate of the 103,000-member Illinois Federation of Teachers.