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More than 100 people attended Friday night's public forum on the closure of four elementary schools in TUSD.

About 30 individuals addressed the Tucson Unified School District Governing Board at Rincon High School, each pleading to save the schools recommended for closure. They offered messages of hope to seize upon the recent groundswell of community support, recommendations for budget cuts elsewhere in the sprawling district and criticism of the process they say was initiated without public input.

The meeting was the first of five public forums on proposed school closures. The forums are required by law before a school board decides to close a school. Thirty days must pass, following the first forum, before the board may vote on the closings.

Many of those who spoke have been vocal at meetings since Superintendent Roger Pfeuffer announced in late January his recommendation to close Corbett, Ochoa, Rogers and Wrightstown elementary schools and relocate two alternative high school programs.

During Friday's two-hour meeting, the board, Pfeuffer and TUSD attorney Robert Ross sat above the audience on the stage inside the Rincon auditorium. The orchestra pit remained open, leaving a wide, and dramatic, space between those on the stage and the audience.

"Together, let's do it," said Chris Wallenmeyer, a Rogers parent. "Let us in, let us tackle these issues."

He began his comment by saying: "Rogers brought us from a private school back into TUSD."

Gloria Hamelitz, director of the John Valenzuela Youth Center, which serves Ochoa students, criticized the district for saying the decision to close schools hasn't been made, but Ochoa families were being told to find an alternative school for the upcoming school year and Safford Elementary School staffers received literature on how Ochoa students would be absorbed.

"Trust is earned, not given," she told the board. "To date, you have not earned our trust."

Geri Sethi, who has volunteered at Ochoa for more than 20 years, told the board the process was too quick and seemed to lack public input.

He closed his comments with this: "Thank you. Slow down. Good luck."

Speakers got about three minutes each to make their point.

At a special board meeting Jan. 29, TUSD's Governing Board voted 3-2 against considering school closures.

Since then, TUSD Chief Executive Officer Beatriz Rendon announced TUSD is facing a budget deficit for the 2008-09 school year that is now estimated to be about $20 million.

School closures, officials explained, would save the district about $4 million, though the savings has been questioned by community members.

On Jan. 31, Joel Ireland, the swing vote against school closures, requested the board revisit the topic at its Feb. 12 board meeting.

Ireland then reversed his decision and voted in February, along with board members Bruce Burke and Alex Rodriguez, to begin the school closure process.

TUSD officials said the schools were targeted for closure, in general, because of academic performance, enrollment and district finances.

In early March, information meetings were held at each school targeted for closure.

TUSD officials were on hand to present their rationale for school closures and were vigorously opposed by parents, staffers, students and community members.

TUSD's board is scheduled to vote on the closures in April.