Board Wants To Close Book On Garden Springs School Officials May Make Decision By April 16

The Cheney School Board has recommended that the district’s little red schoolhouse be closed.

At a public hearing last Wednesday, parents whose children attend the 108-year-old Garden Springs Elementary asked board members to spare the school.

More than 30 parents attended the meeting held at Cheney High School. The school district has periodically recommended closing the school since the 1970s.

“We’re not taking any action here tonight,” said board president Neil Zimmerman, whose comments were intended to quell fears of participants, some of whom said they believed the closure is a done deal.

Zimmerman said the board may call a second meeting for additional comments. In the meantime, people are welcome to write or call school district officials.

The decision could be made as soon as April 16, Zimmerman said.

The board is basing its recommendation on a recent architectural evaluation of Garden Springs.

The evaluation revealed that modernizing the school wouldn’t be cost-effective, said Superintendent Phil Snowden.

The school has been plagued by problems in recent years. Its stage was condemned.

This past winter, rainwater turned the school’s basement into a shallow pond. Acoustic tiles are peeling from the ceilings.

Exterior window awnings, meant to guard against undue weathering, have come loose and haven’t been replaced.

Garden Springs, the district’s smallest elementary school, holds a maximum of 125 kindergarten through third-grade students. Its size makes it more expensive to operate on a per-pupil basis than other schools, Snowden said.

“The cost of educating students at Garden Springs is higher than at other schools because classrooms are smaller,” he said.

Children at Garden Springs enjoy an average class size of 17 to 20 students, lower than the districtwide average of 25.

David Snipes, who attended Garden Springs in the 1950s and has lived next to the school his whole life, said the school hasn’t been well maintained recently.

“Whenever a piece falls off, it’s hauled off,” he said at the meeting. “Is this a pattern of deliberate neglect? Are you trying to create an atmosphere in which it has to be closed?” Several other parents also voiced concern that the district has allowed the neighborhood school to fall into disrepair.

Kathy Horn, whose three children attend Garden Springs, told the board she was concerned that students would have to be bused outside the neighborhood.

“Right now we’re close enough to pick our up our children after school,” she said. “It’s particularly an issue for us parents who don’t have a vehicle.”

Parents also said the school’s small size makes it an ideal place for learning.

However, not everyone is in favor of maintaining the school. One woman suggested the school be closed and turned into a school district museum.

Lee Henry, a resident of the Garden Springs neighborhood, told board members that size or nostalgia aren’t good reasons to keep Garden Springs operating.

“It comes down to the almighty dollar,” Henry said. “If it’s money spent wisely, keep the school open. If it’s foolishly - close it.”

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