Opinions mixed on possibility of Lockwood transition

Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of stories looking at Clovis Municipal Schools plans for closure and repurposing. The series will continue over the next three weeks.

Since the announcement of the possibility that Lockwood Elementary will become a preschool center last week, parents and others share mixed opinions regarding the proposal.

Some believe the change is needed, however they don’t think Lockwood is the right answer, and a Pre-K program should be in a more central location.

“My thought is that James Bickley is in the heart of the town,” Natalie Kentzell, a parent of middle school and elementary students said. “This would make it easier for parents who drop their children off and then have to go to work as well versus driving across town every morning/afternoon.”

Kentzell said she can’t speak for every parent, but she’s just not comfortable putting her 4 or 5-year-old on a bus that “most likely doesn’t have seat belts to go to school when this age group of children should still be using car seats/booster seats.”

Catherine Romero currently has two grandkids who go to Lockwood, and she said she worries they’ll feel uncomfortable if they have to undergo a change of scenery.

“It’ll freak them out,” Romero said.

Others on social media believe the distance isn’t that far for Clovis being a smaller town.

There are also kids undergoing change to consider. Renee Arzola has nieces and nephews that attend Lockwood, and she said she’s seen her son have to undergo changes and that he doesn’t handle transition well; she’s worried for the kids at Lockwood.

“It’s hard for adults to adjust to change, so how do we expect all these kids to adjust?” Arzola said.

Some believe there are too many elementary schools in the district that aren’t filled with students.

“Pretty much all of the schools aren’t filled with students or teachers,” Kasandra Taylor, a parent and school district employee said.

“Fill the schools with teachers and students and then expand out to what is needed.”

While some are saying that it would be difficult to transport their children across town, Taylor said the students on IEPs (individualized education programs) for 3-year-olds and pre-k are the ones who ride the bus. “Parents are taking their kids no matter what,” she said.

Taylor said she likes the idea of Lockwood becoming a preschool program.

The decision to make this change comes after the rapid growth Clovis Municipal Schools (CMS) has seen in pre-k students.

In a school board meeting last week, Corey Lucero, president of the pre-k programs, said they have 80 students on a pre-k waitlist.

At the meeting, Lucero said some elementary school facilities, specifically Los Ninos Elementary School, aren’t tailored for younger kids. She said the facilities have inadequate bathroom facilities and space for changing tables.

Lucero said establishing Lockwood as a pre-k center would allow the district to better meet the unique needs of 3-and 4-year olds.

Annette Soto, an alum of Lockwood and older sibling to a current Pre-K student, said the memories she created there are irreplaceable and that it would be unfair to convert.

“Everything from migrant children to low-income, to even some of the wealthiest ranchers and landowners,” Soto said. “There is nothing shy of diversity and culture in this school that is unmatched by every other school.”

She added that Lockwood, to her, is love, loyalty and safety.

As reported earlier in The News, CMS Superintendent Renee Russ said the decision for this recommendation comes with a heavy heart and this and others will be difficult for the board to consider. Decisions are expected at the board’s April 23 meeting.

According to CMS records, Lockwood was established in 2013 and is currently at 72.7% utilized.

If the school board approves the proposal then students will be rezoned to neighboring campuses La Casita and Parview with some Parkview students then moving to Zia Elementary.

The News reached out to the district for more information, but haven’t received a response.