WARWICK — The first meeting of Warwick’s new education advisory committee primarily involved brainstorming options for leaving the Pioneer Valley Regional School District.
Yet committee Chairman Adam Holloway reminded the group that it would be easiest and perhaps best for Warwick to stay with Pioneer, but only if the town can form a better relationship with the district.
The advisory committee was set up two weeks ago by the Selectboard to research alternatives to Warwick’s current arrangement with the Pioneer district. For the past year, the Pioneer School Committee has been talking about closing Warwick Community School as a way of reducing the district’s operating deficit. The Selectboard is totally opposed, fearing the impact on property values.
Last spring, Pioneer found that it had a $450,000 deficit. The problem is now understood to be an unsustainable business model, rather than a single case of mismanagement. In the year since, the district has been aggressively seeking ways to increase revenue and cut costs.
Having already voted to close Leyden’s Pearl Rhodes Elementary School, the School Committee has considered closing Warwick Community School twice. The vote was 8 to 3 against closing the first time, and 5 to 5 the second time.
It’s now too late to close Warwick’s school in time for the 2019 to 2020 year, said School Budget Subcommittee Chairman Mike Townsley. But Warwick’s Selectboard and Finance Committee expect the question to come up again next year.
The advisory committee’s first meeting on June 4 drew 18 people, including Finance Committee members Diana Noble, Olivier Flagollet and Clyde Perkins; Selectman Jim Erviti; Warwick Community School Principal Elizabeth Musgrave; and Town Coordinator David Young.
Notably not present were Sue O’Reilly-McRae and Jessica Marshall, two of Warwick’s three Pioneer School Committee members. They were reportedly concerned about a potential ethics issue. Warwick’s third member, David Young, said he was not concerned.
“My bias is toward what was promised us 30 years ago, which was, ‘You’ll always have your local elementary school,’” Young said, referring to Pioneer’s regional district agreement, which guarantees that elementary students are educated in their hometowns. That part of the agreement has been suspended by legislation meant to help Pioneer with its financial situation.
“I think the local elementary school is important, more important than the sanctity of a declining high school,” Young said.
The most discussed ideas at the advisory committee meeting were ones that had been previously touched on by the Education Task Force, a not-officially-recognized group that Holloway, now chairing the advisory committee, had been involved in. Joining with the Ralph C. Mahar Regional School District was seen as a potentially viable option. So was Union 28, an elementary-only district. One popular idea, brought up by Young and not previously discussed by the Education Task Force, was a municipal school model, in which the town would control its elementary school.
Even if Warwick wants to negotiate a better relationship with Pioneer and ends up staying, Holloway said that it will still be important to research and pursue an alternative.
“They’re not going to pay us any notice until we have something to throw in their face to say we’re serious,” Holloway said.
At the end of the meeting, subjects were assigned to volunteers for further research. The next meeting is scheduled for June 25 at 6:45 p.m. at Town Hall.
Reach Max Marcus at mmarcus@recorder.com or 413-772-0261 ex 261.