Big Park Community School will live to teach another day.

In a sometimes disjointed and rambling three-hour meeting, the Sedona-Oak Creek School District Governing Board voted unanimously Tuesday night to keep BPCS open along with West Sedona School, even after voting to move seventh- and eighth-graders from the two schools  to Sedona Red Rock High School for the next school year.

The vote to move the grades to SRRHS was 4-1, with board member Bobbie Surber providing the only dissent.

After the vote to preserve BPCS, which she has supported throughout district’s restructuring discussions, Surber acknowledged the influence of the community on the school board.

“I believe you changed our vote,” she told joyous audience members.

The meeting, held at the Sedona Performing Arts Center, got off to an unusual start with board president Zach Richardson leaping from the stage where board members and school district administrators were seated to deliver a prepared speech.

In it, he criticized public negativity aimed at the board, Superintendent David Lykins and Finance Director Colleen Toscano.

“Don’t attack the school district. Don’t attack the school board,” he said. “We always have to put smiles on our faces as a community.”

He also sought to explain the financial and educational challenges faced by the school district that led to the evening’s votes.

After Richardson finished, members of the public were given the opportunity to speak.

Several spoke on behalf  of keeping BPCS open and not moving the seventh- and eighth-graders to the high school. A few directed their remarks to aspects of Richardson’s speech.

For the full story, see the Friday, March 25, edition of the Sedona Red Rock News.

Click here to watch videos from the meeting