Parents, teachers, students, and neighbors filled the gym at AO Marshall Elementary school Wednesday night to appeal to the Joliet Public Schools District 86 Board of School Inspectors one last time to keep the school open next school year.

Over 60 people attended the meeting in the 101-year-old school’s gym for the final of three required hearings scheduled by the board to discuss the future of the facility.

The district has identified Marshall for potential closure due to both its age and its dwindling enrollment.

Despite having a capacity of 644 students, there are currently only 210 students enrolled at the K-5 building. This marks a 64.5% decrease in enrollment in 15 years, and makes Marshall the most under-utilized building in the district, operating at just 33% capacity.

If Marshall is closed at the end of the school year, its students would be relocated to Singleton Elementary, a building that is 87 years newer and nearly 50% larger.

In its presentation, District 86 officials highlighted some of the perceived disadvantages of Marshall, including being a three-story building with no elevator and having only one multipurpose room.

Singleton, on the other hand, has a stand-alone gymnasium and cafeteria, and its playground equipment is newer than what is at Marshall.

Still, attendees argued the choice is about more than the physical building; it’s about the school culture and community.

“AO Marshall is family, and you closing it is going to devastate these students,” said Kathy Ramirez, an AO Marshall family member. “Please invest a little money in Marshall and leave this family alone.”

Ramirez also argued that closing the schools would be short-sighted, as Singleton will be near capacity if a merger takes place, and Joliet’s population could increase again.

Singleton is currently operating at 52% capacity with 366 students. Combined with Marshall’s students, it would be at 82% in 2026-2027.

Marshall fifth-grade teacher Maida Cornelio Sauseda argued to the board that the smaller population of Marshall was more beneficial to the students than being in larger classes at Singleton.

“This year I have had the smallest class I’ve had in 20-plus years of teaching, and the impact is not just something you feel, it’s something you measure,” Cornelio Sauseda said. “Nearly three-quarters of my [15] students are now meeting or exceeding our district benchmarks. That growth is not accidental. It is a direct result of the time, attention, and community that a small classroom allows.”

Cornelio Sauseda was joined by her fellow teacher, Paulie Lopez, who questioned the district’s financial choices, including calling out “several salaries that far exceed the national average.”

“When the district is discussing cost-cutting measures like closing a school, it must also be willing to scrutinize where the money is currently being spent,” Lopez said. “I’m asking the board to fix Marshall rather than treat its closure as a solution.”

Lopez then read comments submitted to her by students, including, “It will be bad for students to have to walk further to school, especially in the cold,” “This is just making Singleton more crowded,” and the question, “Where are our teachers going to go?”

Other students spoke for themselves. Half a dozen Marshall students approached the microphone during the meeting and pleaded with the board not to close what student Ricky Gonzalez called his “home away from home.”

“I don’t want to be at a school with too many kids where my voice won’t be heard,” Gonzalez said.

“Give this school a chance to grow and improve, and to make a change so students don’t miss out,” said student Itzel Ochoa.

“Please don’t shut down my school,” added Marshall student Maina Long. “I’ve been here for six years, and I feel very safe with the teachers and my principal, and this school matters very much to my friends, me and my teachers. I love this school a lot, and I don’t want to be separated from my friends.”

While 16 individuals spoke personally at the meeting, some with the aid of a Spanish translator and others through tears, lunchroom worker Jessica Ramirez presented a list of 250 signatures of other community members petitioning for the school to stay open.

“I know that doesn’t sound like a lot, but it is,” Ramirez said. “Especially because there’s over 200 students who don’t want it closed either, but who couldn’t sign. So that’s over 450 voices all screaming ‘No! Do not close our school.’ ”

The Board of School Inspectors will vote on the future of Marshall at its regular board meeting on March 11.

When asked if they believed anything said at the past three hearings would sway the decision to close the school, School Board President Jesse Smith and Superintendent Dr. Theresa Rouse both said no decision will be made until next week

“Some (board) members may have already made up their minds, but I wouldn’t know,” Smith said. “We don’t discuss it outside of meetings.”

Members of the public will have one final chance to comment at next week’s meeting before the vote.