DeWitt Petitions to Close Gillett Elementary School
DeWitt School District came before the State Board of Education this morning with a petition to close the district’s Gillett Elementary. According to Gary Wayman, superintendent of the DeWitt School District, the closure would be in the best interest of the students of the district. Wayman praised his local board, teachers and students. He said his charge is to make the district as solid – academically and financially – as a whole. He said that it is no longer cost effective to keep Gillett elementary open.
Three Gillett community members expressed oppositions regarding the school closure: Jared Holzhauer, mayor of Gillett, Chad Philip, a local pastor, and Mike Dodson, a member of the DeWitt School Board.
A motion was made to deny the petition and to keep the Gillett campus open, and the board encouraged further discussion and communication addressing financial concerns. The motion passed with a 5-2 vote.
