Avedisian endorses proposed elementary school consolidation plan

Posted 10/20/16

The following is a press release from Mayor Scott Avedisian's office:

Mayor Scott Avedisian announced today his endorsement of a plan proposed by the Consolidation Committee for the School …

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Avedisian endorses proposed elementary school consolidation plan

Posted

The following is a press release from Mayor Scott Avedisian's office:

Mayor Scott Avedisian announced today his endorsement of a plan proposed by the Consolidation Committee for the School Committee to vote on at their October 25th meeting. After much discussion, the Consolidation Committee is recommending, with the support of Mayor Avedisian, Superintendent Philip Thornton and School Committee Chairwoman Bethany Furtado, that the School Committee vote on a consolidation plan, but delay the actual implementation of that plan for a period of one year.

The Consolidation Committee sent down their final recommendation on Wednesday (19th). Avedisian had previously proposed two options for the committee to consider, the first being to delay the consolidation conversation for one year, and the second for the School Committee to vote on a consolidation plan, but delay the actual implementation for one year. Over the past month, Avedisian has had numerous discussions with Thornton and Furtado, as well as School Committee members, candidates for School Committee, City Council members and other interested parties to try and bring about a consensus.

While the School Committee has invested a significant amount of time and energy into the consolidation discussions, many have expressed the opinion that there has been a disconnect with students, parents, faculty and staff as to how the process should continue. With a plethora of concerns and many unanswered questions, Avedisian believes slowing the consolidation process down is the best way to ensure every scenario has been thoroughly examined.

Additionally, during the last round of elementary school consolidation, the City of Warwick was left with two vacant buildings, Potowomut Elementary School and Christopher Rhodes School. The Potowomut school building was demolished and Fire Station 10 was constructed on the property to serve the Potowomut and Bay Ridge neighborhoods. The fire station, which features some architectural elements incorporated from the old school building, also has a community meeting room, recreational playing fields and a playground for the residents’ use.

As part of the secondary education consolidation, Aldrich Junior High School was closed at the end of last school year, and the School Committee recently voted to turn the property over to the city. However, due to the diligent work of Thornton and school department staff, the building and grounds at Aldrich have continued to be maintained and the interior of the school remains free of debris and in good working order. Since voting to turn the property over to the city, the School Committee has supported the city in determining the best course of action for the buildings and grounds. As the city moves to market and sell the Aldrich and Rhodes properties, Avedisian has also created a plan to divide the proceeds from the sale of the building.

After the sale is complete, half of the proceeds will be allocated to pay off some long-term city debt. The remaining balance will be given to the School Department to pay their bond money for next year, thus freeing up additional funding for renovations and school programming.

“This entire consolidation process has been one of much heated discussion, high emotions and scrutiny from all sides. The proposed resolution from the Consolidation Committee is one that I fully support and know will be highly effective to bringing about a consensus on consolidation efforts,” said Mayor Scott Avedisian. “This has been a difficult process through all stages. Unfortunately, there are no easy answers. However, I believe that voting on school closures, but delaying the implementation process a year will help parents and students plan their next steps while simultaneously allowing the School Committee and School Department to further examine the long-term needs of the Warwick School system. While there are no easy answers, it is my hope that this decision will help unify those on all sides of the debate, and serve as a reminder that we must act in the best interest of all students in the city.”

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