EDITORIAL

The focus of consolidation

Posted 9/29/16

The first of three public hearings on the school administration's plan to implement the next phase of school consolidation with the closing of three elementary schools will be held next Thursday beginning at 6:30 p.m. at Veterans Junior High School.

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EDITORIAL

The focus of consolidation

Posted

The first of three public hearings on the school administration’s plan to implement the next phase of school consolidation with the closing of three elementary schools will be held next Thursday beginning at 6:30 p.m. at Veterans Junior High School.

Developed over the summer by a team of administrators with the help of consultants SMMA, Randall Holden, Wickes and Governor Francis Schools would close at the end of the current academic year. John Brown Francis would reopen as the district’s Early Childhood Education Center next year. The center is currently located at the former Drum Rock Elementary School at the Toll Gate Educational Complex. The building would not go unused. Rather, it would be used by the Warwick Area Career Technical Center, also located at Toll Gate, that is experiencing expansion.

There’s more to this plan than responding to declining school enrollment. It also involves a reorganization of the system.

Since a high of almost 20,000 students in 1968, Warwick school enrollment has slipped to 9,018 as of this fall. Elementary school enrollment is 4,704 – not including about 200 pre-schoolers – and, according to SMMA, projections will further decline to 4,676 next fall. Meanwhile, the district’s 16 elementary schools have the capacity to accommodate 6,388 students.

In response to the surge of students in the late ’60s, the district built Toll Gate High and Winman Junior High, adopting a citywide three-district system where specific elementary schools fed into junior and senior high schools. That changed this year with the closing of Gorton and Aldrich as junior highs and Vets as a high school. Vets reopened as a junior high.

Beginning next fall, the city’s two junior high schools – Vets and Winman – will transition to middle schools with the addition of sixth grade. This is projected to reduce total elementary school enrollment to 4,000.

There’s logic to this overall plan to bring efficiencies to the system. It is the path the School Committee has chosen to right-size the district.

It has not been easy. Consolidation on the secondary level has proceeded in spite of the lack of a teachers’ contract and in violation of the former contract that the union considers binding until a new agreement is reached. Further, as Superintendent Philip Thornton has stated, there are philosophical differences between him and the union over the weighting of classes by students with individualized education programs. Thornton wants to do away with the system that treats special needs students as more than one when establishing a maximum class size.

Without question, the lack of a teachers’ contract has exacerbated consolidation and made it impossible for Thornton to develop a team effort and vision for the system. Resolving a contract must be a priority.

But this shouldn’t defer the discussion and action over consolidation.

As the hearings get under way, there will be arguments consolidation is proceeding too quickly and that the selection and number of schools for closure is wrong. And while the rationale for shuttering the three elementary schools is spelled out, we would expect a discussion on the alternatives.

Most wishful, and perhaps this is too much to expect, we would ask that the discussion be civil and the focus be set on what is best for our children.

Comments

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  • longtimewarwickite

    Let's clean up the mess that the secondary consolidation made before we move on to elementary consolidation. I'm not saying it doesn't need to be done; I am saying, however, that it needs to be postponed until the disaster that was created this year is completely resolved, up to and including the weighting issue. Also, a new contract needs to be in place before any further consolidation takes place.

    Friday, September 30, 2016 Report this

  • Imhere

    Maybe the consolidation would have been met with open arms if the incompetent Phil Thorton and puppets on the school committee and his administration did the right thing with the secondary consolidation. Maybe people would have not been so upset if Thorton didn't rave how great things were going and how it all looked great (which was a complete lie). Maybe the Beacon should have done a real article not the ridiculous one which tried to make things at Vets look better than they are. Thorton couldn't keep 4 girls safe in Norwood Elementary but he wants another $90+ million to revamp these old and out of date schools. Maybe if he took his head out of the clouds and put a plan in place to build new and stop wasting money on these buildings that should be knocked down. Maybe if Thorton took a pay cut from his $160,000+ a year contract he hasn't earned to date we would save. Well since we are consolidating does this mean the we would save money by cutting the maintenence staff or janitors because with less schools you don't need as many (obviously by the way the schools look we need new staff) , does this also mean that we can cut out big salaries with directors? Enrollment drops schools close but the administration is still very top heavy cut some of those jobs. A directors salary and there personal secretary that will save, plus they will not use the electric or take space up to save more. I think was funny that Phil Thorton was supposed to come to Norwood Boys and Girls Club on 9/21/16, but couldnot make it with the death of the Toll gate principal (like if Thorton was the dr), no this was a ploy so that work can get done and when he shows up 11/30/16 most if not all will be done and he feels no one has a right to say anything because it's done. If the consolidation is to go right get rid of the INCOMPETENT Phil Thorton and his Puppets the cover up crew.

    Saturday, October 1, 2016 Report this

  • JusthaFacts

    It is not a “philosophical difference” with teachers when Thornton cancels Individual Education Plans (IEPs) for students with special needs or provides no extra services to implement them. He is ignoring State DOE mandates and real student needs, and when these students require extra time from teachers in full (un-weighted) classes with no special needs aids, all students receive reduced instruction. When parents sue for these violations Thornton’s contract lawyers can just postpone his suits against the teachers to fight the parents and add to their billed hours.

    Saturday, October 1, 2016 Report this

  • ThatGuyInRI

    Longtimewarwickite,

    You shouldn't comment here.

    You seem well spoken and your comments rational, We don't want your kind here, we like our opinions uninformed and inflammatory. If you've got something constructive to say, go elsewhere!

    Monday, October 3, 2016 Report this