Hundreds of parents, teachers, and young students filled the McKenny Elementary School gymnasium on Oct. 12 for the first of three campus-based public hearings on the Olympia School District’s school consolidation proposal.
The proposal would see McKenny, Madison and LP Brown elementary schools closed starting in the 2027-28 school year, with their students and faculty consolidated into other schools within the district, to help the district save $3.1 million annually.
The Olympia School District Board of Directors opened the floor to elementary students first, giving children the microphone to voice fears of losing friends, teachers and neighborhood traditions.
Lacey Brown, a young McKenny Hawk, pleaded with board members to keep her school open. “We belong together. We are proud to be McKenny Hawks,” Brown testified. “If we can keep a school open for one student, we can keep our McKenny school open for more than 300 students. Please don't close our school.”
Students also highlighted unique campus traditions, including bike safety lessons in physical education. “We are one of the only schools to ride bikes during PE or scooters,” one student speaker said. “If we go to Pioneer or Centennial, I won't be able to ride my bike. It would be too far.”
Third-grader Holly Swans shared her emotional bond with her classroom. “I don't want to leave this school because McKenny is like my home and my teacher is nice,” Swans testified. Gabriel D., another student, cautioned against the disruption: “If you close your school, it won't do any good. It will be like breaking a family car.”
Beyond emotional appeals, parents and technical experts raised concerns regarding traffic safety and pedestrian infrastructure along Boulevard Road.
A transportation engineer and McKenny parent testified that reassignment to Centennial Elementary would eliminate safe walking options.
“Boulevard Road does not have consistent sidewalk access, so it will be physically impossible for them to ride or walk,” the speaker warned, urging administrators not to “put a mass of extra cars and students into a school that doesn't have the infrastructure.”
McKenny parent Alex described the community culture that draws families to the neighborhood. “When I read the district's analysis, we talked extensively about facilities, square footage, utilization. At McKenny, we call it McKenny Magic,” Alex testified, sharing that their family moved across the country and purchased a home sight-unseen specifically to secure a place at McKenny.
Addressing the fiscal rationale for closures, Julia Savo cited recent academic research questioning net financial gains. “A 2026 Stanford closure study found that although it is tempting to assume that closures will translate into improved fiscal health, that assumption is not supported by evidence for districts already experiencing decline,” Savo testified, adding that the study found the net fiscal benefit was “close to zero.”
Demonstrations against district management turned visual when parent Bjorn Johnson addressed the board dressed as an elephant and holding a “Failed Leadership” sign. “Tonight I am the elephant in the room, which is the tale of leadership that has brought us here today,” Johnson testified, criticizing central office growth and calling for a halt to the consolidation process.
Under Board Policy 6883 and state law, the district must hold separate public hearings for each school under closure consideration before taking a final vote.
The hearing series continues from 6 p.m. to 8p.m. at LP Brown Elementary on Oct. 15 and Madison Elementary on Oct. 19, ahead of the board's scheduled vote on Nov. 12.
