Save Arlie Boggs Elementary: Support Our Legal Fight

Dear Supporters,

We come to you with heavy hearts but unwavering determination. Arlie Boggs Elementary School, the heart of our small community in Eolia, Kentucky, faces closure. On April 28, 2025, the Letcher County School Board voted 3 to 1 to shut our doors, citing low student numbers. But we know Arlie Boggs is more than a statistic—it’s a lifeline for 133 students, a place where kids from preschool to 8th grade grow, learn, and dream big despite the challenges of our rural mountain home.

This school, nestled between Kentucky’s tallest peaks, has been a beacon for generations. It’s where teachers like Cecil Foley, Tommy Boggs, and Harry Collins, with decades of service, have shaped young minds, and where students like those on our history-making robotics team built a prototype to aid law enforcement in crises. It’s where we celebrated every child’s survival after a terrifying bus crash, thanks to first responders and community strength. Arlie Boggs isn’t just a school; it’s our identity, our family.

The closure decision feels like a blow to our future. Parents like Clint McComb voiced at a community meeting on April 17 that this fight seems uphill, but we’re not giving up. We believe Arlie Boggs is worth saving—for our kids, for our community, for the promise of a better tomorrow. That’s why we’re turning to you, our incredible supporters, to help us raise funds to hire a legal team. We need expert advocates to challenge this decision, explore every possible avenue, and fight for our school’s survival.

Legal fees are daunting, often ranging from $200 to $400 per hour, and our rural community of hardworking families can’t bear this burden alone. Your generosity can make the difference—every dollar brings us closer to keeping Arlie Boggs open, ensuring our children don’t face long bus rides over mountain roads or lose the close-knit education that sets them up to soar.

We’re inspired and determined when we think big. Now, we ask you to join us in thinking big for Arlie Boggs. Your support on this GoFundMe will fuel our fight to keep our school’s doors open, preserving a legacy of learning and love.

Thank you for standing with us. Together, we can show the world that “The Little School that Does Big Things” is here to stay.

With gratitude,

The Arlie Boggs Elementary Community