My biggest concern after reading the recommendations are that they are forcing my children to be reassigned not because they are closing Arbor Heights but because they discontinuing their program? So they will have a school there just not the current one?

I am not quite sure how that seems fair to those of us in this neighborhood and I am also not quite sure why Arbor Heights was chosen to be discontinued and "other" schools in the south cluster were not looked at for discontinuation or closure as they had been previously, especially since enrollment in those schools are down yet again.

I now understand why more and more people have lost faith in the Seattle Public School system and why more are turning to private schools. The choice they are making here is difficult for even me to understand so how do I explain to my children that their school is still open but they are not able to go there any longer?

I hope they know that their recommendations will not go forth without a battle. My children's grandmother went to Arbor Heights, as did my husband and I. We live in this neighborhood for many reasons and this school is one of them. This is a neighborhood school in the truest sense and they are robbing us the opportunity to give that experience to our children. I will not allow them to choose where my children will go to school. That is a choice we as parents have made and it is not something they are going to get to do now or ever.

I fear these concerns will fall upon deaf ears as they have done so on so many other issues and that saddens me. They ask parents to get involved and to voice our opinions and concerns yet in so many instances it seems their decisions are made regardless of our input.

We need to use all our energy to fight to keep our neighborhood school, our extended family open and thriving as it has done for so many years. Arbor Heights matters to those of us that live here that is why we are here, why we stayed, and why so many come back.

David and Lisa McFarlane

West Seattle