A.O. Marshall Elementary School in Joliet will close its doors after this school year.

The Joliet Public Schools District 86 Board of School Inspectors voted Wednesday to shut down the 101-year-old building.

Despite having a capacity for 644 students, there are currently only 210 students enrolled there in kindergarten through fifth grade, just 33% of the school’s capacity.

This low enrollment makes Marshall, located at 319 Harwood St., the most under-utilized building in the district. This, combined with its age and need for maintenance upgrades, has lead to District 86’s decision to closed it in June.

Marshall students will be relocated to Isaac Singleton Elementary, a building that is 87 years newer and nearly 50% larger, for the 2026-27 school year.

Singleton, located at 1451 Copperfield Ave., currently has an enrollment of 366 students, and operates at 52% of its 700 student capacity.

The district held three hearings about the issue, which saw dozens of parents, students, and teachers argue to save the building.

Residents stated that closing the school would be hard on families emotionally and create logistical problems for students who walk to school.

The staff also argued that having smaller class sizes at Marshall allows teachers to focus more on students individually.