LETTERS

Time for Warwick School consolidation

Posted 6/18/15

To the Editor:

The City of Warwick is a beautiful place with much to offer those who are fortunate enough to call it home. It is a thriving metropolis that continues to find creative ways to …

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LETTERS

Time for Warwick School consolidation

Posted

To the Editor:

The City of Warwick is a beautiful place with much to offer those who are fortunate enough to call it home. It is a thriving metropolis that continues to find creative ways to improve the quality of life for its residents. Yet for some reason, the city has seen a sharp decline in school aged children, resulting in an estimated 40 percent of vacant classroom space. This decline has prompted school officials to explore consolidation, which has raised the antennas of many concerned parties.

In the May 13 Providence Journal article titled “School officials choose consolidation plan,” we are told that the district plans to close both Gorton and Aldrich junior high schools and convert Veterans High School into a middle school. Superintendent Richard D’Agostino is also quoted as saying the consolidation of elementary school buildings “is coming.” As a Warwick resident, taxpayer and former student of the Warwick Public School System, I support the School Committee’s consolidation plan. We cannot stand idly by and watch one of the best school systems in Rhode Island move backwards.  

The tension surrounding consolidation is both understandable and mind boggling at the same time. Teachers, parents, students and taxpayers all have valid concerns. No one wants to see schools close. No one wants to think about teachers possibly losing their jobs because there are not enough students to teach. No one wants to change the environment our children have become accustomed to. Our priority should always be doing what is best for our young people. They are our future and should be our first consideration in everything we do. With that in mind, I ask the opponents of school consolidation ‘Is it really in the best interest of our children to have an estimated forty percent of their classroom space vacant?’ This is not sustainable. If we continue on the current path, our young people will graduate and eventually search other communities to raise their children; communities with school districts that are managed efficiently. 

The Warwick School Committee has done its due diligence and has been more than transparent throughout this process. It has engaged all interested stakeholders and the time to act is now. As the city moves forward with its plan, we must be mindful that people fear change. And though change is never easy, it is sometimes necessary. This is one of those times.

Ryan Crowley

Warwick 

Ryan Crowley is a lifelong resident of the City of Warwick. He serves as the principal public affairs coordinator for the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources.

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