City leaders in Colorado Springs are facing chopping block decisions and listening to suggestions from the public. Some younger neighbors have been heard, but some aren't convinced they are speaking for themselves.

Ravyn Bergeman is a Lincoln Elementary third grader with an opinion.
"Well I thought it was like, a great place, and I wanted everyone to know about it," she said.

She told her story in a letter about her field trip to Rockledge Ranch, a local throwback village showing what life was like in the early days of Colorado Springs.

Ravyn has a plan to keep it open.

"Raise the money to go into Rockledge ranch raise it to like, $6," she said.

The notion the ranch could close came up during a classroom discussion with teacher Trudy Welsh.

"[I] kinda said, you guys could be the last third grade class from Lincoln that gets to go," Welsh said.

Welsh says her class has recently had a real-life civics lesson using the Colorado Springs budget challenges as a back-drop. In an open writing assignment, Welsh told students they had the option to compose a letter to the editor with their ideas. She emailed some of them to the paper with parents' permission. The paper printed 8 letters from children requesting the ranch remain open.

"A lot of time we ignore kids voices and I think we need to listen more," said Welsh.

A backlash in comments on the Colorado Springs Gazette website suggest some think the students were coached, or influenced.

“She handled it appropriately,” said District 11 Spokesperson Elaine Naleski.

Ravyn's mom Krista also stands by the lesson plan.

"I thought it was a wonderful assignment. It's my belief that our children starting at a young age should be involved in things that go on in the community," she said.

Writers like Ravyn have already begun.