Letter: Melissa Williams

Keep Tudor Elementary Open

I am writing to express my deep concern over the proposed closure of Tudor Elementary School. Tudor is not just a school—it is the heart of our community. Closing it will tear apart bonds that have been built over generations, disrupt our children's education, and harm our neighborhood.

The Tudor neighborhood is growing, with young families moving in. We specifically bought our home so our children could walk to school and experience the community that my husband enjoyed during his school years at Government Hill, another true neighborhood school. Tudor Elementary has the same potential to thrive. But closing this school and replacing it with Whaley K-12— which our children will be unable to attend— will deprive us of the opportunity and the dream we had for our children when we chose to stay in Anchorage and buy our first home in this neighborhood.

What the district hasn’t considered when offering Lake Otis and Denali as options is that the majority of Montessori students are neighborhood residents, without the resources to be bussed to Denali. Closing Tudor will overcrowd Lake Otis Elementary, which will exceed 100% capacity and require portable classrooms. Denali Montessori, already at full capacity, cannot absorb the 124 displaced Tudor Montessori students.

Moreover, Tudor brings in revenue through community rentals and fundraising, which the district will lose. Closing the school won’t save money—it could result in the loss of up to $660,000 in funding as families leave for private schools or homeschooling, which many have already expressed as a possibility.

Our children, our community, and our future deserve better.

Sincerely, Melissa Williams