PNA and OWL Partner to Make a Stand for Pinckney School
As most residents now know, in an effort to address a major budget shortfall, the Lawrence School District has proposed closing 4 elementary schools (Pinckney, Woodlawn, New York, and Broken Arrow) plus Liberty Memorial Central Middle School. This proposal would result in converting the middle school into a mega-elementary school, where the students from all 4 proposed-closure grade schools would go. The Pinkney Neighborhood Association and the Old West Lawrence Neighborhood Association stand united in making a stand to protect Pinckney School. The statement that follows was read at the School Board meeting on January 24, 2022:
Good evening, my name is Maren Bradley. I am the Vice President of the Old West Lawrence Neighborhood Association. I come here tonight, representing Old West and Pinkney Neighborhood Associations together, to speak about our concerns in closing Pinckney School and other urban core schools in favor of a mega-elementary school located several miles from many of these existing schools.
Hopefully, you know that Pinckney School currently serves the neighborhoods of Pinkney and Old West Lawrence. What you may not realize is what our neighborhoods and city contribute back to this school:
- Firstly, Pinkney Neighborhood hosts many campaigns to support both the school and families that attend the school, including a recent fall donation drive for the school and holiday collection to support families in dire need.
- Secondly, in 2013, the Pinckney PTO partnered with VanGo, Old West Lawrence, and the city of Lawrence to rehabilitate and provide ongoing maintenance to the Pinckney tunnel that runs underneath 6th Street which allows for safe passage to school every morning for the multitude of walkers and bikers. The tunnel features murals unique to the school’s presence in our community.
- Thirdly, after school, parents and community members run the 100% volunteer Pinckney Pacers running program which serves as both expanded access to fitness and childcare, to which members of the Boys and Girls Club, including children bussed in from other schools, are also invited to attend.
- And finally, beginning last year, the city government has spent countless hours and dollars working with Old West to implement programs to improve pedestrian conditions throughout the neighborhood to increase safety for our children who walk and bike to school, many of them without adults.
The population of Pinckney School grew 13% from 2012 to 2018. This is not a neighborhood school in decline. This is a school completely renovated in 2018 with taxpayer money, ready to welcome next year what is seeming to be one of its largest Kindergarten classes in the last decade or more. Included in the renovations to Pinckney School were showers, clothes washing equipment, and a pantry to help address the needs of the numerous low income students that attend the school. Moving schools out of neighborhoods like ours and farther from the homes of families most in need of this type of hands-on support, will leave them more at risk, impacting both the education of children and the stability of the community.
The previous school board election was a referendum in equity. Lawrencians as a whole community, both on the east and on the west side of town, have sent you a very clear signal that equity is our #1 priority.
We welcome a discussion about what magnet, STEAM, fine arts, and Montessori options can contribute, but the 6 weeks you have given us to respond is not enough time to assess these options, and you cannot shuttle the most vulnerable children around to temporary solutions in the meantime. The short-term nature of this problem is not worth disposing of our core values, and we think you are vastly underestimating the short-term cost of making these changes anyway. We absolutely insist that you do not close all of our urban schools.
January 30, 2022
· 
Eleanor Gardner · 
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Posted in: Announcements
PNA Meeting Recording Now Available on YouTube
Did you miss the PNA meeting on Saturday? Catch up by watching the recording at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJqfZKxwqbg
January 17, 2022
· Eleanor Gardner · No Comments
Posted in: Announcements
Reminder: PNA Meeting Tomorrow at 10am!
Our first Pinkney Neighborhood Association meeting of the new year is TOMORROW, Jan 15th, at 10am via Zoom. Check the e-news for the Zoom meeting link and passcode: https://mailchi.mp/01e08be9b1ff/pna-jan2022-mtg-reminder
January 14, 2022
· Eleanor Gardner · No Comments
Posted in: Announcements
January 2022 PNA E-News
Check out the January 2022 PNA e-news at https://mailchi.mp/6b1430697fb4/jan2022-enews. Be sure to add our first meeting of 2022 — on Saturday, January 15, at 10am — to your calendar!
At the meeting, we’ll be discussing:
- Preparations for elections at the PNA annual meeting on February 19
- Potential changes to PNA Bylaws
- Organizing a competition for a new PNA logo
January 9, 2022
· Eleanor Gardner · No Comments
Posted in: Announcements
Thanks, Pinkney Neighbors!
Pinkney Neighbors did a fantastic job contributing gifts and necessities for the “Adopt-A-Family” campaign we ran during the holidays! Thank you SO much!
January 9, 2022
· Eleanor Gardner · No Comments
Posted in: Announcements
Adopt-A-Family for the Holidays – Deadline for Donations is Saturday, December 18th
Help make this holiday merry and bright for a family of four! The family lives in the Pinkney Neighborhood and the two school-aged kids attend Pinckney Elementary School. (For their privacy, we are not disclosing their names.)
We will be collecting new gifts for the family’s 3 kids and mom, and new or very lightly used clothing, bedding and household items to help the whole family. Please do not wrap the items.
Donations can be dropped off by no later than Saturday, December 18th at 345 Mississippi St. (The house is on the NW Corner 4th & Miss. – the drop-off box just inside the screened-in porch on 4th St.)
Please check the list of needed items below for updated information on the remaining items needed. If you have any questions, please email pinkney.neighborhood@gmail.com or phone/text Pat Miller at 785-550-6958.
Thank you for supporting your Pinkney Neighbors!
9 Year Old Girl:
- Favorite colors – Pink & Purple
- Girls Size 16 pants/12 tops
- Women’s size 6 shoes
- Gift items: fake nail & makeup sets
8 Year Old Boy:
- Favorite color – Red
- Boy Size 10 or 12 shirts & pants
- Boys size 7 shoes
- Gift items: PS3 games (e.g., car racing & Mindcraft) and animal books
2 Month Old Boy:
- Favorite colors – Black & Blue
- Infant Size 6-9 month clothing
- Baby socks
- Crib bedding
- Gift items: baby toys
27 Year Old Woman:
- Favorite color – Purple
- Women Size 18 pants/2X tops
- Women 8 shoes
- Gift items: hair braiding supplies
Other items to help the whole family:
- Prepaid cards for gas, clothing, food, etc.
December 1, 2021
· pgmiller · No Comments
Posted in: Announcements
November Meeting Recording Now Available to Watch Online
Did you miss PNA’s monthly meeting yesterday? Stay in the know by watching the Zoom recording on our YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/bEwl_HlPUA8
November 21, 2021
· Eleanor Gardner · No Comments
Posted in: Announcements
PNA November Meeting is TOMORROW!
Don’t forget! The neighborhood association’s November meeting is TOMORROW, Nov 20, at 10am! We’ll be discussing our plan to participate in the “Adopt-a-Family” program for the holidays. 
Click our e-news to get the Zoom meeting link and passcode: https://mailchi.mp/18681012f7c9/pna-nov2021-mtg
November 19, 2021
· Eleanor Gardner · No Comments
Posted in: Announcements
November Edition of PNA E-News
November 13, 2021
· Eleanor Gardner · No Comments
Posted in: Announcements
Recording of October PNA meeting on our YouTube channel
If you missed the October PNA meeting, you can now watch the recording of the Zoom session on our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOFb5ALJ77Y
November 3, 2021
· Eleanor Gardner · No Comments
Posted in: Announcements