Vote slated on consolidation of elementary schools

By Tessa Roy
Posted 10/25/16

The Warwick School Committee is set to vote tonight on the consolidation committee's recommendation to delay implementation of the consolidation of elementary schools until the 2018-2019 academic year. Director of Elementary Education Lynn

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in

Vote slated on consolidation of elementary schools

Posted

The Warwick School Committee is set to vote tonight on the consolidation committee’s recommendation to delay implementation of the consolidation of elementary schools until the 2018-2019 academic year.

Director of Elementary Education Lynn Dambruch said the recommendation to delay was unanimous.

“We listened to parents and reflected on their concerns and wishes. We want to work with the community moving forward as we always have,” she said on Friday.

The school buildings recommended for closure or re-purposing have not changed. Randall Holden and John Wickes Schools are still on the radar for closure, as John Brown Francis and Drum Rock are still up to be converted into the city’s early childhood center and an extension of the Career and Technical Center, respectively.

In accordance with the new recommendation, initial early childhood construction would start at John Brown Francis in the summer of 2017. The relocation process for special education programs for the schools impacted by consolidation would begin in 2017-2018. All student transitions, including those of sixth graders, would occur in the 2018-2019 school year.

The consolidation committee’s recommendation has the support of Superintendent Philip Thornton, School Committee Chair Beth Furtado, and Mayor Scott Avedisian. A statement from Mayor Avedisian’s office said he has had numerous discussions with Thornton, Furtado, School Committee members and candidates, City Council members and other interested parties to try and bring about a consensus, an assertion Avedisian also relayed at Friday’s Mayoral debate.

Previously, the statement said, Avedisian had proposed two options for the committee to consider, one being to delay conversation on consolidation for one year, and the second for the School Committee to vote on a consolidation plan, but delay implementation for one year.

“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,” he said in a statement. “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.”

The mayor also said he believes the plan would be “highly effective” in bringing about a consensus on the process.

The release went on to say that while the School Committee has spent a significant amount of time on the consolidation discussions, many have claimed there has been a “disconnect” with students, parents, faculty and staff as to how the process should move forward. Therefore, the mayor believes slowing down the consolidation process is the “best way to ensure every scenario has been thoroughly examined.”

While the vote is slated for tonight, School Committee Member Karen Bachus said she plans to ask for it to be put off until a new School Committee is seated.

“I feel it’s inappropriate for this committee to vote on it,” she said. “There is an election in a couple weeks and I believe that this vote should be done by the people who are on the School Committee in January.”

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here