To Superintendent Pedicone, Mr. Cuevas, Mr. Hicks, Ms. Grijalva, Dr. Stegeman and Dr. Sugiyama:

We, the families and teachers of students enrolled in the self-contained G.A.T.E. program at Corbett Elementary School, urge you to move the entire program to Kellond Elementary School, should you choose to close Corbett. We are aware that the two choices for our new home are Kellond and Hudlow, but we strongly prefer Kellond for a variety of reasons.

 Kellond is better able to accommodate our G.A.T.E. students and teachers within the school building. At Hudlow, it is likely that our G.A.T.E. classes would be moved into portables which are in disrepair. Hudlow's parking and traffic flow is inadequate for the additional burden that would come with overpopulation.

 Kellond offers before and after school enrichment programs including tutoring, track, choir and drama. It is an OMA Gold school. Hudlow offers none of these. Kellond has a larger library, a full-time counselor and a computer lab.

 Hudlow's portables and classrooms are accessible without encountering the administration and many of its gates are left open during the day, posing a safety risk. Kellond is fully secure and there is no entrance to the school other than through the front office.

 Hudlow's start time is 7:45. This means that G.A.T.E. students who ride the bus would have to board at approximately 6:00 a.m. Kellond's start time of 9:15 means that those students would not have to board the bus until approximately 7:30 a.m., leaving them more rested.

 Finally, Kellond's principal Mr. Scott Hagerman is enthusiastic about receiving Corbett's G.A.T.E. students and working with its teachers and parents. He has taught G.A.T.E. himself and has a deep understanding for the special needs of gifted students.

 Although many of us would prefer that Corbett remain open, if it does close, we urge you to make Kellond our new home.

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