BARRE – The Quabbin Regional School Committee voted Wednesday night
to begin taking legal steps next month to close at least one elementary
school a year from now.
In the interim, the committee, citing fear
of legal repercussions, backtracked from a June vote that would have
had all Oakham and New Braintree students in kindergarten through Grade 6
attend Oakham Center School when classes resume at the end of August.
The
school board rescinded the June vote and instead approved a measure put
forth in June by committee member Richard Allan that would maintain
last year’s school placements: kindergartners and first-graders from
Oakham and New Braintree attend New Braintree Grade School, and children
in Grades 2-6 from both towns attend Oakham Center School.
According
to the superintendent, there are about 60 kindergarten and first-grade
students enrolled from the two towns and t
hrough school choice, which
allows children from other towns to attend Quabbin schools.
At the
start of the hourlong meeting Wednesday attended by more than a dozen
parents from Oakham and New Braintree, school committee Chairman Lee
Wolanin admitted the committee’s June decision “pushed the envelope.”
Superintendent
Sheila A. Muir said that since the June vote, New Braintree selectmen
had threatened through town counsel to bring legal action against the
regional school district for an apparent violation of the 4-year-old
Quabbin Regional School District agreement.
The agreement allows
the school administration to reassign some elementary grades from one
school to another, but not all grades.
Ms. Muir said that while a
survey of parents in the two towns overwhelmingly supported the move of
all New Braintree elementary students to Oakham, the potential legal
liability would compromise the district.
William C. Howland and Randy Walker, New Braintree selectmen, attended the meeting but did not comment.
Several parents at the meeting questioned the committee’s action in
stepping away from what they called the best educational option
available for the K-6 students from the two towns.
Ms. Muir said
the Center of Hope Foundation Inc. in Southbridge is still interested in
leasing space in the New Braintree Grade School for its transitional
program, if that space is available.
Asked about the financial
impact of not having all K-6 students in Oakham, Cheryl Duval, director
of administrative services, said there would be added expense in
returning to the two-school model, but she did not have a dollar figure.
Ms.
Muir explained that only Oakham had been set up with a room designated
specifically for the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math program.
Several
school committee members suggested that parents with concerns about the
change should take it up with the New Braintree selectmen.
“I
think the last thing we want to do is spend money tied up in court. We
have better places for the district’s resources,” Mr. Wolanin said.
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