Spartan Village Elementary School’s pupils are known for their different skin colors and cultural backgrounds.

The small elementary at 1460 Middlevale Road is a blessing for parents such as Vicki Sorrone, who want a diverse education for their young children.

But Sorrone said it wouldn’t be a stretch to think that her blessing is what nearly brought the school to closure by the East Lansing school board in an attempt to remedy the district’s financial woes.

“Personally, I think one of the reasons they chose Spartan Village is because some of the parents here are international and do not participate in the community as much as parents from some other schools,” Sorrone said at a school board meeting earlier this month.

Sorrone, a school-of-choice parent from Haslett, said she kept her two children from attending Haslett schools because its system is “too white.”

Board Treasurer Barb McMillan said Spartan Village was considered for cuts because it has the lowest number of residential students, making transportation costs higher than any other school in the district.

Board member Rod Murphy said, if anything, diversity was a factor that helped the school stay open.

“Because of university apartments and because of the international flavor at MSU, our schools have always had an international flair,” Murphy said. “You can walk into a classroom and hear 10 languages in first grade.

“That’s tough for teachers, but it’s great education for the little boy or girl who meets people from three continents.”

Spartan Village Elementary Principal Bill Gale said the school’s diversity is key to unlocking a student’s development.

“Kids sort of absorb things more quickly when they’re younger,” Gale said. “Children develop prejudices later on because they’re taught by adults.

“They don’t think of it as understanding other cultures and languages - they just think of each other as children.”

Men’s basketball head coach Tom Izzo and his wife, Lupe Izzo, have a child at Spartan Village Elementary.

Lupe Izzo said the diversity in the school’s full-day kindergarten program was a main factor in deciding where to send the couple’s daughter.

“I grew up in this area, and a lot of schools don’t have the diversity that Spartan Village has,” she said.

Murphy said Tom Izzo was very vocal when the board suggested closing the school.

“Coach Izzo came and spoke on behalf of the school saying, ‘I wish all of my players could have been a part of education like this,’” Murphy said.

Lupe Izzo said the school is representative of current trends.

“Our world is really global now,” she said. “All the children are able to mix with other cultures. I’m glad to be a part of that.”

Some Spartan Village Elementary teachers also recognize the importance of the diversity and the unique full-day kindergarten program, and believe the school board recognizes it, too.

“In a way, it was based more on the diversity being a positive aspect than a negative one,” first-grade teacher Zachary Konett said of the board’s decision.

Kindergarten teacher Denise Skalsky said the program has proven to be very effective.

“The growth has been absolutely phenomenal,” she said. “The learning is explicit. You can’t hide it that children that write daily in full-day kindergarten have a faster development.”

McMillan said Sorrone’s comments about the board’s prejudices resonated with its members because, “they could not be further from the truth.”

Board Secretary George Wyatt was happy to see Sorrone’s passion for the elementary, even though he didn’t agree with her arguments.

“I’d rather be called a racist by someone who’s worked up about their school than be surrounded by apathetic parents who couldn’t care less what happens, no matter what the consequence,” he said. “But from my discussions with the other board members, that just wasn’t an issue here.”

Board President Susan Schmidt was taken aback by the comments at the meeting and called the allegations “preposterous.”

Wyatt said he accepts fielding accusations such as Sorrone’s is part of the his job description.

“People around here have always been passionate about their neighborhood schools,” he said. “You’re going to be called some names if you meddle with someone’s school.”

Katie Byrne can be reached at byrnecat@msu.edu.

Erik Syverson can be reached at syverso1@msu.edu.