Every Friday, for generations, Leon High School students gather around the lion statue in the front lobby, lock arms, and sing the alma mater. When my son, a current Leon student, first asked my wife, a Leon alumna, why they do it, she gave a simple answer: it builds community, reinforces belonging, and honors tradition.
Schools are more than buildings, line items, or square footage; they are community pillars. They anchor generational traditions, neighborhood pride, and our shared civic responsibility to educate the next generation. That is why, when public conversations turn to closing schools to address under- or over-enrollment, we must proceed with care.
Leadership in public education means resisting extremes. When discussions focus on underutilized space, it can be tempting to jump immediately to the most drastic response: closing schools. However, closures are a nuclear option. They treat schools as spreadsheets rather than as community pillars…