The decision to close the school came during Monday night’s Board of Education meeting, when trustee members decided to pass a motion, by a 5-2 vote, that will bring about a number of reconfiguration changes to the school district.

The kindergarten through fourth-grade school was the oldest operating school in the East Lansing school district, serving more than 260 student from 49 countries, according to the 2011-12 annual education report.

For many parents, including Brooks, the trustees’ decision poses a threat to the cultural diversity of the area.

“What I love about Red Cedar is that it’s like a mini (United Nations),” Brooks said. “There are so many different cultures and diversities here, and I like that my kids … aren’t just surrounded by people like them, but from people all over the world.”

The Red Cedar Elementary School is expected to be fully converted for administrative uses by 2014, and the reconfiguration changes are set to go into effect at the end of this academic year.

Other reconfiguration changes include the addition of a sixth-grade wing to MacDonald Middle School in East Lansing.

Kevin O’Brien, a social relations and policy senior and Community Relations Coalition member, worked with many community members from the area and said he can understand why some might be upset.

“My primary goal is to work in the community and understand their dynamics,” he said. “Those I spoke with were very much in favor of (the school) staying open, so I can see why they might be disappointed.”

The school’s close proximity to the Spartan Village apartments also was a concern voiced to the board, along with issues surrounding transportation for students from that area.

Other community members also questioned the legitimacy of the board, with two of the seven trustee members, including board President Rima Addiego, being replaced at the end of the year.

Despite the controversy surrounding the issue, Patrick Riley, a board member, said the decision shouldn’t be looked at as a loss for the school, and cited his experience in business to promote the building’s future administrative purposes.

“I don’t want to wait on this issue any longer, and that’s how I’ve been all my life,” he said at the meeting. “I think this change is the right move, and I don’t want to wait until next year or next month to see it through.”

Although Brooks said she will keep her children in the East Lansing area, she said she fears the decision might impact the way young people view the idea of acceptance.

“What I worry about is (that) if you lose the close-knit community of the Red Cedar, you’re going to lose the acceptance of other cultures,” she said. “Over time, this feeling becomes saturated.”