Consolidation panel doesn`t deviate from plan to close schools

The elementary school consolidation process continued to move forward at Thursday’s second hearing. Emotions ran high as parents, teachers and students alike rallied to save the three schools slated for closure at the end of the current academic year. Elementary Education Director Lynn Dambruch tried to set a cordial tone, saying decision making while forming the plan was not done lightly.

“[The committee members and I] have friends and colleagues who we highly respect working in these schools across the district,” she said. “We also respect the strong connections parents, students and teachers have to their schools. It’s like their second home, and we understand that.”

The committee replayed its presentation (which, along with the full consolidation report, is available on the Warwick Public Schools Consolidation site) from the last hearing, which outlined the consolidation process since 2008. The process began that year with Potowomut and Christopher Rhodes closing. John Greene School was closed and Drum Rock re-purposed a year later. Short and long-range planning committees were assembled from 2010-2013, and SMMA was hired for consulting a year after. The firm recommended closing four to six elementary schools, which is now on the agenda after secondary schools were consolidated this year. One of the biggest reasons for consolidation cited by the presentation was elementary population decline. Since 2006, the population has decreased by 859 students and schools are currently 26.5 percent under capacity. The population is expected to drop by another 1,090 students by 2024.

School buildings recommended for closure at the end of this academic year are Randall Holden and John Wickes. Drum Rock and John Brown Francis are up for re-purposing as an extension of the Career and Technical Center and an early childhood center, respectively. Holden students would go to Hoxsie and Sherman Schools while Wickes students would go to Greenwood, Park, Robertson and Scott Schools. John Brown Francis students would attend Wyman and Holliman Schools.

Early in the evening, the consolidation committee received slightly more support than at the last hearing. However, the few residents, including former Ward 1 councilman and school committee member Robert Cushman, who spoke in favor of the committee’s plan, were chastised by opponents and told to “sit down and shut up.” The committee was questioned and criticized for the rest of the night.

Sean Rainey, a parent of a Warwick Veterans student, echoed the common call to slow elementary level consolidation after this year’s secondary consolidation. He said Aldrich and Gorton should have been kept open for one more year so Vets could have been appropriately serviced.

“I don’t think anybody is saying we shouldn’t consolidate. We need to step back, put our brakes on, and get secondary situated,” he said. “Vets still doesn’t have a heating system that will maybe make it through the winter. My son will be going there. How healthy is that?”

The committee responded that it had plans to address the heating issue.

Holden, recommended for closure due to its small size, closeness to other elementary districts, and the $5.5 million cost of renovations, had seen prominent support at the first hearing. But Francis and Wickes Schools had their turns in the spotlight Thursday night.

“I’m truly wanting to know if our school is one of the best to be closed. We as parents want to help our children make that transition,” said Wickes PTO president Michelle Haley. “We’re not going to fight it and make it a bad situation. However, I do want to truly know that the schools were chosen based on a concrete rationale and not just things that were pulled out of the air.”

According to the consolidation report, Wickes is recommended for closure due to difficulties with Main Avenue reconfiguration, the building’s proximity to the Green Airport runway extension (it is 1,600 feet, approximately five football fields, away from the runway), and the $9.8 million needed for renovations.

A parent of a first grader at Francis said she wasn’t sure if her family would stay in Warwick if the school was re-purposed.

“You have stated your reasons for John Brown being re-purposed into the new Drum Rock as cost and ease, but have you considered the quality of education these students are receiving at John Brown?” she asked the committee. “Whether you have to do consolidation or not, John Brown is one of the top schools in the district.”

Another Francis first grade parent fought tears as she spoke, calling the school a “special place.”

“This school has already changed my daughter’s life in a way that many of you won’t understand because you don’t live with her,” she said. “We live here because of our community. We almost moved, and we probably will again if this moves forward.”

After the hearing, Stephanie Van Patten, a parent on the consolidation committee, said she thinks the committee has done its job and that members are taking all feedback into consideration.

“I took a lot of notes, and I know before the school committee meeting, [the consolidation committee] is going to meet and go over those comments and questions,” she said. “There’s a lot to think about.”

The final hearing was last night at Toll Gate. The School Committee will vote on the plan on October 25.