Residents of the nine ConVal School District towns are encouraged to attend upcoming community forums with Prismatic, a consulting firm hired by the district’s Strategic Organization Committee to assess its 11 facilities and recommend strategies to address low enrollment in the district.
In recent years, enrollment in ConVal’s eight elementary schools, two middle schools and high school has fallen to a total of 1,963 students as of Sept. 1. Among elementary schools, Temple and Francestown each have fewer than 50 students.
“We need to create the best possible system we can for all of our kids,” said School Board member Janine Lesser of Peterborough. “It’s not good for the kids or the teachers if we can’t provide full services to the children who need them. We have high confidence in Prismatic and their ability to really reach our communities and bring them in to participate in multiple ways.”
Over next two months, Prismatic will meet with residents of all nine ConVal towns through live forums, virtual meetings and surveys. Meetings are scheduled at Antrim Elementary School at 7 p.m. on Sept. 21, Bennington Elementary School at 7 p.m. Oct. 2, Dublin Consolidated School at 7 p.m. Oct. 4, Francestown Elementary School at 7 p.m. Sept. 27, Greenfield Elementary School at 7 p.m. Sept. 20, Hancock Elementary School at 7 p.m. Oct. 5, Peterborough Elementary School at 7 p.m. Sept. 26; Sharon Town Hall at 7 p.m. on Sept. 19 and Temple Elementary School at 7 p.m., Sept. 28.
“The objective of the meetings will be to gather input from town residents about the district’s current school configuration and possible reconfigurations,” said School Board member Dan Harper of Hancock.
School Board member Bob Edwards of Antrim urges residents to attend his town’s meeting.
“How strongly do people feel about having an elementary school in their town, about their kids traveling? If there was going to be some kind if consolidation, how will impact the town in terms of savings for the taxpayers?” he said.
Edwards requests that Antrim residents planning to attend the forum send him an email at rledwardsbos@gmail.com. If needed, the forum will move to a larger venue to accommodate all interested residents.
School Board member Elizabeth Swan of Temple said the effort is meant to be collaborative.
“We really need the community to show up and participate in the conversation in order to have a successful outcome — whatever that outcome might be; we don’t know what it is yet,” she said.
School Board Vice Chair Alan Edelkind of Dublin, chair of the SOC, stated that “ConVal is committed to being open, transparent and all-inclusive with the towns on this most important and long-range activity,” and that the committee must consider the safety of students and staff, educational equity, the social environment for young children, the issues involved with managing 11 schools, finances, hiring and maintaining a quality staff and enrollment projections not calling for a significant increase in the foreseeable future.
“We need the community to be involved as we navigate through this process,” Edelkind stated. “When an issue is looked at from only one perspective, it becomes a tainted result. The community brings a significant perspective to the table, and we are committed to listening and learning.”
School enrollments
Figures are as of Sept. 1.
Antrim Elementary School — 133
Pierce Elementary School — 62
Dublin Consolidated School — 55
Francestown Elementary School — 43
Greenfield Elementa ry School — 88
Hancock Elementary School — 76
Peterborough Elementary School — 243
Temple Elementary School — 37
Great Brook School — 214
South Meadow School — 349
ConVal High School — 663
Total – 1,963