'It'll set the community back': Lowell Elementary parents share concerns as Waukesha School Board debates closures

WAUKESHA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Waukesha's Lowell Elementary was first built in 1960. Since then, thousands of students have gone through the school. One of those students is Jeremy Zimdars' little girl, who is currently in 2nd grade. She's deaf in one ear and uses a special hearing device that actually pairs with some of the amenities inside of the school.

"We have one of the highest special needs populations in the district," said Kristen Haessly, the communications officer for Lowell's Parent Teacher Organization (PTO). "We're the only school with specific deaf or hard of hearing services that are hardwired into our building."

Zimdars said before his daughter enrolled in a program at Lowell, she couldn't really talk due to not being able to hear what was around her.

But when she turned 4 and entered in, "her speech exploded."

"It literally happened overnight where we just saw her personality come out," Zimdars said. 

Now, she's a chatterbox and is popular amongst her classmates.

"At this facility they also have wiring in the building to help with the mic and her devices so she can hear," Zimdars said, noting it's been a game changer for his daughter's growth and progress.

But now, he's worried that growth and progress might come to an end. The Waukesha School Board is considering closing Lowell Elementary, citing low enrollment issues.

"Imagine if people found out and they relocated to Waukesha just for this program," Zimdars said. "I'm terrified not just for her but other students that will come for this program in the future."

Zimdars said his daughter, along with all of the other affected students, would be relocated to another area school.

"There's some sentiment that she would just go to another school, and they'd have teachers that were specialized in [deaf or hard of hearing] but they wouldn't have the same accommodations at that building," Zimdars said. "I'm afraid that she would either go backwards or she'd plateau."

Angela Stapleton, the president of Lowell's PTO, said the school used to be the hub for the special needs, deaf, or hard of hearing programs.

"So, all of that equipment is here," Stapleton said. "There's also a classroom in every grade designed for these kids."

Stapleton added that she doesn't think moving any of that equipment would be a proper solution.

"If you tried to move it, it loses integrity and it costs a lot of money so at the end of the day if the district is looking at dollars and bullet points, their decision doesn't make sense," Stapleton said. 

School officials said their goal is to have a plan put in place for the upcoming school year.

The board will hold a meeting to discuss next Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 6:30 p.m.

"A lot of investment has gone into this building to give it the amenities that DHH students thrive on," Zimdars said. "Taking the students away from that environment is not going to help them progress, it's not going to help the community progress, it's gonna set the community back."

Other schools that are being looked at include Hawthorne, Whittier, Pleasant Hill, Saratoga, and White Rock.

A petition to save Lowell can be found here and currently has more than 700 signatures.