Liam Parkison is a fifth grader at Englewood Elementary, one of the schools proposed for closure under Salem-Keizer’s plan to address declining enrollment. Parkison will have already moved on whether or not his school closes next year. But he still doesn’t want his school to close; he wants to return as a high school senior, a tradition in many Oregon schools.
“Kids that graduate from high school that went to Englewood get to come back and walk the halls one last time,” Parkison said.
Parkison was part of a small demonstration on the Capitol steps Wednesday, the first in a two-day rally to stop school closures. A few dozen students and parents gathered, holding signs that read things like “students shouldn’t pay the price” and “closed schools equals closed minds.”…