A dozen people spoke out against the proposed closure of A.O. Marshall Elementary School in Joliet during a public hearing Thursday.

Since Dec. 11, Joliet Public Schools District 86 officials have held two public hearings to gather input from the community on the proposed closure of the elementary school.

A third hearing is planned for Feb. 4 at the school, 319 Harwood St.

On Feb. 11, the district’s board of school inspectors plans to make a decision on whether to close Marshall. That meeting will take place at Lynne Thigpen Elementary School, 207 S. Midland Ave.

School officials have cited declining student enrollment, which is occurring across the district, as one reason why Marshall should close.

The district said the 101-year-old school’s enrollment has been decreasing over recent years. In 2010-11, the school was nearing its 644-student capacity with 591 students.

Currently, there are only 210 students enrolled at Marshall, representing a 64.5% decrease in enrollment in 15 years. Marshall is operating at 33% capacity.

The students at Marshall likely would move to Isaac Singleton Elementary School, 1451 Copperfield Ave., which is about a half-mile north of Marshall.

Singleton is at 52% capacity with an enrollment of 366 students.

Twelve people spoke out against the closure of Marshall during a meeting Thursday. The speakers included parents, students and residents.

Jessica Ramirez, whose children attend Marshall, asked district officials to consider improving the school rather than closing it.

“You’ve already seen what we’re capable of with limited resources, so why not put some actual effort into making it better instead of building bigger schools and add-ons to existing school buildings, and making classrooms even more overcrowded?” Ramirez said.

Kathy Ramirez, a grandmother of a Marshall student, commended the teachers and Principal Emilia Herrera. She said the office staff, custodians and everyone else at the school are “irreplaceable.”

“I ask the school board, why do you want to disturb and devastate our children?” Kathy Ramirez said. “Why do you want to break up this community that is our family? Don’t hurt our children like that. Don’t disappoint them. Don’t take away their safety.”

Andrew Smith, who once attended Marshall, said education research supports class sizes of no larger than 18 students for maximum benefit, and overcrowding will lead to increased noise levels and student behavior issues.

“But what do we do when the kid population starts to increase again? Which will happen,” Smith said.

Although enrollment has decreased by more than 2,000 students across the district since 2010, Marshall is the building currently using the smallest percentage of its capacity.

Joliet Junior College Trustee Alicia Morales said the district operates 22 schools, and the population of Joliet and Will County will continue to grow.

She said it is “deeply concerning” that the district will consider closing Marshall because of “costly repairs that stem from years of deferred maintenance.”

Morales said the district has a “top-heavy administrative structure” with high salaries that have “clearly been prioritized over building, maintenance and classroom needs.”

“Closing a school should never be the first solution when a district of this size and funding level faces challenges that are preventable,” Morales said. “Students lose stability, neighborhoods are disrupted, and public trust erodes.”