With sincere apologies to Adam Holloway that it wasn't included in the
September newsletter, here is a submission from the WCS Preservation
Committee
WCS Preservation Committee
-Why we came into existence and our goals as a committee
As some or most of you may have read about in the newspaper, on the L or the
L-Alternative the Pioneer Valley Regional School District is going through
some enormous financial issues of late, to the tune of over a million
dollars in the red!
As part of the district School Committee's attempt to correct their
egregious error(s), serious considerations were given to closing Warwick
Community School for the 2018-19 school year (to the point that a vote to
close both WCS and Leyden were on the committee's agenda.) Many of the
parents, community members and one of our select board members came together
and showed strong opposition to this decision. We voiced reason as well as
highlighted to the school board the contractual obligations that the
district has to its member towns.
The opposition from Warwickians and the onset of a glimmer of logic within
the school committee bought WCS another year of existence. It is now a year
by year basis of our beloved schools continuation in the PVRS District. I
have heard both first and second hand how it is the goal of the school
committee and other district member towns to close WCS and ship our
elementary school children via buses to Northfield for their education.
This process has been both painful and infuriating to watch play out.
Along the way parents came up with the idea of no longer leaving the future
of WCS to fate and 12 school committee members. The WCS Preservation
Committee was formed. It started as an informal meeting in the Warwick Town
Library. After the first meeting with 15 in attendance, the organizers felt
that we were onto something and decided to move forward with the committee.
We now meet every other Tuesday at the Trinitarian Congregational Church of
Warwick at 6:45 PM. I would be remiss if I didn't stop and give thanks and
praise to Dan & Jaylin Dibble for opening the doors of the church and
hosting our committee every other week.
Our next meeting will be on 9/11/18 at 6:45 PM.
The goal of the committee is simple; to preserve the Warwick Community
School as the elementary school for our towns residents as well as the
school of choice children from the surrounding towns that attend. We have
spent much of our time "thinking outside the box", outlining our town's
options for the future. We are on to building the roadmaps for our town to
navigate and move forward during the next few years.
We encourage all who look to support WCS to join us in our task of finding
our way during these uncertain times. At present we have defined 6
sub-committees that are forming to tackle what our group has defined as
options and ideas to further explore. We are certainly open to additional
ideas and since we can be, we have decided to be flexible and open minded in
our group on how we move forward (The whole thinking outside the box
thing.).
Below you will find a list of the current sub-committees and their chair's
email address. I would ask that if you feel that you can contribute please
do not hesitate to reach out a sub-committee chair, email Sarah Wells or
stop in to our next meeting.
1) WCS as an independent school
Jennifer Flagollet ( <mailto:jennifer@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
jennifer@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx)
2) State mandates and budget implications
Diana Noble ( <mailto:nobled@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> nobled@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx)
3) Alliance building
Sarah Wells ( <mailto:spwells16@xxxxxxxxx> spwells16@xxxxxxxxx)
4) Advisory Council
Adam Holloway ( <mailto:aholloway01@xxxxxxxxxxx> aholloway01@xxxxxxxxxxx)
5) Joining a different school district
Adam Holloway ( <mailto:aholloway01@xxxxxxxxxxx> aholloway01@xxxxxxxxxxx)
6) Volunteering at WCS for the 2018 / 2019 school year
Tom Ziniti & Myndi Elwood
( <mailto:zinitiT@xxxxxxxxxxxx> zinitiT@xxxxxxxxxxxx &
<mailto:boobalocha@xxxxxxx> boobalocha@xxxxxxx)
To learn more find our private group on Facebook by searching for "WCS
Preservation Committee" and request to join. If Facebook isn't your thing,
please email Sarah Wells and she will provide you with additional
information. ( <mailto:spwells16@xxxxxxxxx> spwells16@xxxxxxxxx)
Thank You,
Adam Holloway
Committee Member & Parent
<mailto:Aholloway01@xxxxxxxxxxx> Aholloway01@xxxxxxxxxxx
978-501-0609
