The board voted Thursday night to shutter Madison, McKenny, and LP Brown elementary schools, citing declining enrollment and budget concerns. The closures will displace more than 700 students from their neighborhood schools.

In a Notice of Appeal provided to local media by multiple district families, the parents claim the district failed to comply with RCW 28A.335.020, which requires the board to adopt a closure policy that includes separate hearings for each targeted school and an analysis of the closures' impact. The parents allege the district did not hold a sufficient number of public hearings.

"The school board's decision will displace more than 700 students from their neighborhood schools," appellant Maurice King wrote in a press release. "Given the widespread impact, there's simply no excuse for cutting corners."

LP Brown Elementary parent Evgeny Bistrika said he believes the district broke the law. "Superintendent Murphy is definitely in for a challenge here and I hope he's ready," he said.

The parents argue the board's current policy does not meet statutory requirements for citizen engagement and is therefore invalid.

Superintendent Patrick Murphy defended the decision at Thursday's meeting. "I continue to believe the consolidation plan of these three schools is a very difficult but necessary step for a more sustainable school district," he said.

Under the plan, McKenny students would split between Pioneer and Centennial elementary schools. Madison students would move to Roosevelt Elementary, and LP Brown students would transfer to Hansen or Garfield elementaries.

Emotions remain raw among affected families. "We are angry, my children are devastated but we're not finished," said LP Brown parent Katie Marr. "LP Brown and Madison Elementary serve Olympia's most vulnerable children, children that experience homelessness, food insecurity, higher percentage of disabled children and lowest percentage of white children."

A district spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment on the appeal but pointed to a notice sent to families Thursday night that includes information about student and staff transitions. The notice acknowledged the difficulty of the decision, stating that "our schools are much more than buildings" and that the issues had been discussed for years through extensive analysis and community engagement.

Board Director Maria Flores, the only member to vote against the closures, said she hopes the district can generate more local or state revenue to avoid further cuts. Her ideas include bringing community partners or community schools into buildings so the district can charge them rent.

It remains unclear whether additional closures are planned. Marr said she plans to keep fighting. "I plan to continue to attend every single board meeting, and I will not let the district continue to make these bad decisions," she said.