Parents, teachers raise new concerns over school merger plans

By Shawn Cunningham
© 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC

With discussions at three meetings in three towns in just two days, it seems the movement toward an Act 46 school merger plan for schools in the Two Rivers Supervisory Union may go from a walk to a trot.

But, if a plan is going to be on the town meeting ballots in March 2017 for six towns, the process must soon break into a gallop.

On Monday night, the Act 46 options were questioned at the Andover Select Board meeting while over in Ludlow representatives of that town and Mount Holly had heated discussion over the future of their union.

And Tuesday night, more than 65 residents of Chester, Andover and other towns attended a meeting to learn about the options under consideration for a merger and to comment on facets of those plans.

While discussions in study committee meetings have focused on issues of busing between schools, tax rates that drop for high spending schools but rise for those spending less and questions of equity, Tuesday’s questions and comments seemed to bring unexpected perspectives.

Chester resident Heidi Skinner worried that children with learning disabilities would be facing larger class sizes that don’t meet their needs while the school would move toward more “enrichment” programs.

Skinner’s husband Ken, a bus driver in another school district, told the meeting that children get restless on bus rides and move around on long rides, which raises the possibility of physical injuries. He added that the longer children remain on a bus, the more trouble they get into. “And after a half hour, kids are getting into trouble,” Skinner said to applause.

Several Green Mountain students said they felt bad for their peers at Black River High School if their school were to close, but that they would welcome those students to GMUHS and talked about ways to make them feel at home.

A number of people questioned spending money on the Black River building when there is so much excess capacity at the Green Mountain building. And others spoke of the time when Chester’s high school was recognized as the best in the area and wondered how to bring it back to that stature.

Chester resident Carrie King, who admitted that she had not been following the issue as closely as she could, questioned the rush to get the question on the town meeting ballot rather than taking all the time – up to the July 1 deadline – to get more information on which to base a vote.

Sue Willis, who described herself as both a taxpayer and school employee, asked why school teachers were not brought into the process earlier on for their ideas and comments earlier on.

While select boards often grouse at education taxes, only one select board member from Chester or Andover attended the meeting. Andover Select Board member Jean Peters wondered if the options had been vetted by the state Board of Education so whatever one was approved by the voters would be able to move forward.

GM middle school teacher Sharon Jonynas questioned whether the idea of equitable opportunities when one  plans would have moved Chester students to Ludlow  and away from the facilities available for them at GMUHS — such as indoor and outdoor athletic facilities and an auditorium — that aren’t available at Black River.

Katie Hamlin of Cavendish said she had two “little ones” who will be coming up in the new system and asked for details and numbers “on a granular level.”

Julie Wood, also of Cavendish, cautioned that it is “easy to look at the greater good for most students but overlook the special needs.”

The Act 46 Study Committee will meet again in full session at the Baltimore Town Hall at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 6. Then at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 14, the committee will meet at Black River High School, during which it may vote on which option to put before the voters.

In the meantime, committee member Alison DesLauriers said the group would take in the comments they had heard and work those concerns into the current options or perhaps craft another option.