Parents at Bricker, Oak Creek and Turman elementary schools were invited to meetings Wednesday evening to hear directly from Harrison School District 2 leaders about major changes planned for their schools.At Turman Elementary, about 30 parents attended a meeting where district leaders announced plans to close the school beginning in the 2027-28 school year. Students would transition to either Giberson Elementary or Soaring Eagles Community School.Staff members also learned about the planned closure shortly before the meeting.The district is also proposing to combine Oak Creek Elementary with Fox Meadow Middle School and Bricker Elementary with Panorama Middle School. Both campuses would become K-8 schools.For families at Turman, the announcement came as a shock.Yeah, it is shocking, said Ruben Bet, a Turman Elementary parent.A little bit scary because we moved to this community because we wanted to go to Turman, Said Israel Riva, another parent at Turman.Superintendent Dr. Wendy Birhanzel, School Board President Michelle Wills-Hill and Turman Elementary Principal Mickee Witt attended the meeting to explain the proposed changes and answer parents' questions.During the meeting, district leaders pointed to declining enrollment as a key factor behind the planned changes. Turman currently has fewer than 150 students, according to the district.Leaders also cited rising living costs and fewer children entering the community as contributing factors.But parents said they still have questions about how the changes will affect students, teachers and families.The big question is how will the district accommodate all these students in different schools and also the teachers, Bet said.Parents also raised concerns about transportation, class sizes and whether schools receiving students will have enough teachers and counselors to support them.For Riva, the announcement came with little time to process what it could mean for his family.This is so new that it just hit us like out of nowhere, so, um, we would have to see, but I don't know, we really like the school, Riva said.District leaders said employees will have an opportunity to apply and interview for positions at the receiving schools as the district works through staffing plans.The district expects that process to begin January 11, when the interview pool opens.Parents also asked what will happen to the Turman Elementary building after the school closes. Some said they do not want the property to sit vacant.One idea raised during the meeting was converting the building into the Deerfield Hills Community Center. District leaders said community input will play a significant role in determining the building's future.Still, some parents hope the school can be saved.If there is any way to save the school or to make a petition to save that school because it's a great school and the teachers are great, the principal is a great principal, Riva said.Harrison School District 2 said it plans to support students and families throughout the transition.District leaders also reminded parents that the district operates under a school-choice model, meaning families can choose which school their children attend next year.The proposed changes are planned to take effect in August 2027, at the start of the 2027-28 school year.For now, questions remain about how students will transition, how staffing will be handled and what will ultimately happen to the Turman Elementary building. ...read more read less