It's the latest chapter in a campus closure debate that's growing more tense as the school board nears a Nov. 9 vote on which schools – if any – to shutter or consolidate.

Lincoln Heights and parents say they were blindsided Monday when they learned their school had been added to the list of campuses slated to close at the end of the school year.

“Being surprised is justified because it was a proposal that was just developed in the past week,” said board Chair Eric Davis. “Whether a school was on the list to be closed previous to Tuesday or just put on this list Tuesday, we have heard the same criticism. It‘s pretty consistent. It doesn’t make it better or worse, it just is.”

He said the proposal not to operate underutilized schools, such as Lincoln Heights which is at half capacity, equals a cost savings that will save teachers’ jobs and reduce the number of layoffs next year.

Under the proposal, the Learning Immersion and Talent Development magnet program at Villa Heights would be relocated to the Lincoln Heights facility. Lincoln Heights would no longer be a partial magnet, and students not enrolled in the magnet program will be reassigned to other home schools.

Board member Richard McElreath, who represents the district that includes Lincoln Heights, said he was unaware the change until the last minute and had been telling parents they had nothing to worry about because “there was nowhere in [the plans] where they were talking about closing Lincoln Heights.”

“I’m just as confused as you folks are,” he told a crowded room of Lincoln Heights supporters during Tuesday‘s public forums, which are being held to receive public feedback on the district‘s proposed changes.

“On the document we got it said consistently that Lincoln Heights was going to be a pre-K-8 school… Yesterday with no warning whatsoever, we got the package and it said, ‘Lincoln Heights closed,” McElrath said.

He questioned how staff could make such drastic changes to the plan without any approval or input from the board. “It didn’t come across the board, and it’s my understanding that the board is the only people with the authority to close the school,” he said.

Word got out Monday when Lincoln Heights principal Lenora Shipp said she was notified that school would be closing and asked to share the information with her staff so they would be prepared in case members of the media came to their campus.

“I was informed to know why media would be coming to the school and why this was taking place. I was told the board was getting the information as I was getting the information and that I needed to let my staff know so that we would not be in the dark,” Shipp said.

Tammy Hill, vice president of the Lincoln Heights PTA, said the designation is a slap in the face to parents who have been advocating for more resources at the school.

“We were complaining and nobody took the opportunity to listen,” she said. “Now it’s like the end result is ‘OK we have failed you all, we don’t know what else to do’ so… you are going to uproot us and bring in Villa Heights.”

Hill said she feels the district has given up on educating low-performing students to focus on improving the achievement of high performers. “This is unfair,” she said. “Do what’s right for all children, not just for some. It’s like the haves keep getting what they want and the have-nots keep getting knocked down.”

Students from Lincoln Heights would be reassigned to Ashley Park and Thomasboro. Hill said that judging by the ABC scores of those schools, it’s not a good idea. “What you are doing is putting failing children with failing children,” she said.

Lincoln Heights PTA President Shawn Smith said it simply equates to “more jails, more jails, and more jails,” because that’s where children who are denied a quality education end up.

Elizabeth and Myers Park elementary schools, which are located in more affluent communities, were taken off the closure list.

CMS staff emphasize that nothing has been decided definitively, but some parents disagree. They believe district officials already have their minds made up, and the series of forums being held for pubic opinion are nothing more than a waste of time.

“Once you get all of this information from us, you already know what you are going to do… so why are we here? You‘re not going to listen,” said Blanche Penn, who has five grandchildren in CMS.

Superintendent Peter Gorman and several members of the board were also criticized for not being in the chamber with the public forum was being held. They chose to instead view the remarks from remote locations throughout the Government Center. They did not enter the chamber until the forum had ended and the regularly scheduled board meeting began.

Gorman’s constant shuffling of papers and lack of eye contact with speakers, including young children, has been criticized in the past, and continues to be a problem for many who view it as a sign of disrespect.

Many parents left Tuesday’s forum with more questions than answers. “We come to these meetings for answers to our questions, but we are told ‘we will write that down and get back to you,’” said Kimberly Miller-Potts. “You wouldn’t want the same if it were your children. It’s not fair.”

Parents also complained that they were not given enough information. They have been told what the district plans to do, but they have not been given any details as to how those changes will be implemented and the impact it will have on instruction.

Hundreds of parents, teachers, students and education advocates came out to Tuesday’s meeting to protest the changes. Of the dozens of people who were given an opportunity to speak, none spoke in favor of any of the proposed changes.

When the open microphone portion of the session was brought to a close without giving all those who signed up to speak an opportunity to address board members an outburst in the meeting chamber resulted in two arrests.

Charlotte Mecklenburg NAACP President Kojo Natambu and high school teacher Hans Plotseneder were arrested. Natambu was charged with disorderly conduct and trespassing after leading the crowded chamber in a chant of “We want more time!”

Plotseneder was arrested for trespassing after failing to vacate the meeting chamber when ordered to do so by police officers.

Advocates from west Charlotte neighborhoods say they believe they are being unfairly targeted.

“I would like the school board to take into account that neighborhoods and this whole educational sector work in systems,” Sheryl Hanson said. “You are not building sustainable communities, you are tearing them down by the move that you are doing.”

“We are concerned with the stability of the entire school district. We don’t understand why $3.4 million equates to the destruction of so many schools,” said John Maye of Save Our Schools. “To close these schools, in our view arbitrarily, without any explanation further dampens the good will between the school board and the people that you represent.”

Also: Arrests made at CMS meeting

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