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Residents Protest To Save Lewisboro Elementary School

LEWISBORO, N.Y. -- Lewisboro residents came together on Tuesday to show the potential traffic impact of closing Lewisboro Elementary School.

Barricades are put up as a result of a demonstration by concerned parents over the closing of Lewisboro Elementary School.

Barricades are put up as a result of a demonstration by concerned parents over the closing of Lewisboro Elementary School.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Brittany Serra

Twenty cars made a 3.7-mile trip from Lewisboro town center to Meadow Pond Elementary School in South Salem. If Katonah-Lewisboro closes Lewisboro Elementary School, 134 students will be transferred to Meadow Pond.

Residents arrived to Meadow Pond at 9:15 a.m. and said traffic was snarled and buses were delayed as a result of their protest. Residents said they are also concerned about the impact on education, property values and the tax base if the school is closed. 

"We wanted to get our point across that there is going to be traffic issues if Lewisboro Elementary School is closed," Brittany Sera, who participated in the protest, said. "It created a lot of headaches."

Sera said if Lewisboro Elementary is closed, this type of traffic will happen everyday. She said her and her husband bought their house because of its proximity to the school.

"We are really bummed about this," Sera said. "We were going to ride our bikes to school." 

The protest was condemned by Superintendent Paul Kreutzer, who called it irresponsible and called the police.

The demonstration "created havoc and significant safety concerns for staff and families at arrival time," Kreutzer said. "These acts put our children in danger and were emotionally distressing to our staff, our students and their parents."

Kreutzer said anyone who has information on who led the protest should contact Kreutzer's office or the Lewisboro Police.

"A spontaneous act like this is dangerous and inappropriate," Kreutzer said. "During the school day, only individuals with defined and District-approved reasons for being on site are allowed on the grounds."

The district’s School Closure Task Force will present its draft Educational Impact Statement regarding closure at the Board of Education meeting on Thursday, Dec. 5; the Board will conduct a preliminary vote on Thursday, Dec. 19.  If the Board votes for closure on Jan. 23, Lewisboro Elementary will be slated for closure at the end of the current school year.

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