The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:
Caitlin Provencio
The closure of Holaway is a devastating loss. For the last four years I have been sending one or more of my kids to Holaway. The same school my siblings and I went to. The same school my dad and his siblings went to.
When purchasing our home, my husband and I considered being within the Holaway boundary a bonus. The fact that we are close enough to walk was even better. From my oldest’s first day of Holaway, I have walked my children to Holaway and home again each day. Walking to Holaway has been so important to our family that we requested a crosswalk from the City of Tucson. They thought us walking was important, too, and put in that crosswalk.
This walk is an amazing part of our day. We admire the colors in the sky. We interact with our neighbors. We’ve befriended bus drivers. We have seen hawks having breakfast. We’ve seen coyotes out for a morning walk. We’ve seen countless bunnies. We admire the palo verde trees blooming in the spring. We’ve walked through snow. We laugh. We exercise. The kids actually talk about their day. Walking to and from school has been a huge blessing. It enhanced our feeling of community at Holaway. A community we have put so much into.
For the last three years, I have served on the PTO board — giving my all to ensure the staff and families felt valued. I have volunteered at all the things-Turkey Trots and Field Days. Students and staff have gotten used to my presence at school and made me feel welcome.
Holaway has been a wonderful place for not only my school-aged children, but also my kids who aren’t in school yet. My younger kids have become a staple, always tagging along in the stroller. And sometimes, even getting to participate with the students. They have always received just as much love as my kids who attend Holaway.
I ache for my son starting kindergarten next year that no longer gets to attend the school he’s been looking forward to going to for years. My heart aches to lose the walks to and from school that have given us so much. To add insult to injury, the decision was made by the district without transparency or real input from the families affected. I didn’t get the chance to fight for my kids. Inquiries I made to the email provided for input were not addressed. The only public meeting was all about the decision the district had already made.
Where we go next is currently undecided — it’s hard to want to be part of a district that treats families this way — but I know that wherever we end up, a piece of us will always be Coyotes.
