ConVal School Board misrepresents the facts
On Feb. 18 a Community Forum was held at ConVal High School. Much of the evening was spent discussing the potential withdrawal of Francestown from the ConVal School District. The School Board continues to misrepresent the facts.
“Economies of scale”: Dublin and Francestown both did studies last year and each came to the same conclusion. Both towns could provide a better education at a lower cost. The bloated overhead at Conval actually increases costs. As chair of the Dublin Education Advisory Committee, I can attest that we were scrupulous with our conclusions.
“Loss of seat on school board”: There is little value in having one seat on a 13-member board. This is “taxation without representation.”
“Commitment to keep the Francestown school open”: This is after multiple threats to close it and an acknowledgement that the current board cannot bind future boards.
“What is best for the children”: Let me assure you that this is not about the children. It is all about the money. Francestown is a significant financial contributor to ConVal.
There are some significant benefits for the other towns if Francestown withdraws. Repetitive withdrawal studies are a significant drain on the district’s time and finances. ConVal does not meet any of its own educational goals. Perhaps they could concentrate on educating our children if they were not distracted by these studies. Perhaps the loss of Francestown will force the board to address the many educational, financial and attendance challenges facing the ConVal school system.
Edmund Burke warned that “independence for the American colonies was inevitable if Britain continued its policies.” ConVal is not open to changing its policies. Francestown has decided to withdraw. They have earned our support. Check out the Francestown presentation at www.francestownnh.org/francestown-school-committee for further information.