NORTHFIELD — The Warwick Community School will remain open for the time being, with the Pioneer Valley Regional School District School Committee deciding Thursday not to vote on reconsidering closing the school — for two reasons.
As the first School Committee meeting of the year, the evening’s agenda was full of appearances from speakers and items for the committee to discuss. After more than two hours, the committee was still in the “appearances” section of its agenda. The committee decided to have Superintendent Jonathan Scagel determine what items could be tabled for later discussion and decision, including the vote on reconsidering whether to close Warwick Community School and review its Horace Mann II Conversion School application.
Beyond this, the School Committee’s legal authority to vote on the Warwick school closure was brought into question by member David Young.
“I see no place where the School Committee has any authority to take up a vote to close the school,” Young said. “The School Committee doesn’t have this authority under the district agreement … or the acts of 2018.”
The district’s attorney Russell Dupere determined that the School Committee does not have the legal authority to undertake such a vote, based on the legislation that was passed regarding the district’s debt last year. According to Dupere, the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is now responsible for choosing to close a school.
“You have to go through the regional agreement. … In reading it, I don’t see anything that gives the committee, by itself, the right,” Russell said. “This language doesn’t say anything about a committee being able to vote.”
Before it was determined a vote could not be made, School Committee member Mike Townsley cited dropping district enrollment as the reason for placing the votes for reconsideration of closing Warwick Community School and reviewing the Horace Mann II Charter Conversion on the committee’s agenda. Townsley said he thought it was “crazy” to try to approve the Horace Mann II conversion in just a matter of months.
“We need to look at the future, fiscal year 2020/2021,” Townsley said. “Student enrollment is dropping, including Warwick’s. We are going to be back in the budget process, we don’t need to wait until April or March to make final decisions.”
Pioneer Valley Regional School’s library was filled with Warwick residents who attended to show their support for keeping the Warwick Community School open, and its potential conversion. Many urged the committee to give the proposal from the Warwick Education Committee for a Horace Mann II school a chance to be developed. Fighting back tears, Amanda Mankowsky urged the school committee not to close Warwick Community School.
“This entire process has been emotional on adults and children,” Mankowsky said. “I’m terrified every single day because I have a kindergartner who will be coming up into the district, and I don’t know how to direct her concerns and worries. … It’s not that our kids wouldn’t get a good education somewhere, but it’s that we strive on community.”
Following citizens’ comments, the scheduled appearances included a presentation from Department of Elementary and Secondary Education representative Alyssa Hopkins, a school development manager for the office of charter schools and school redesign. Hopkins gave a timeline for the Horace Mann II Conversion School application, and details on how the school could operate.
The Warwick Education Committee also presented the School Committee with a 22-page draft application for the charter school, which touches on a range of topics from enrollment to school management and finances.
On Thursday, Sept. 19, at 7 p.m., the School Committee will meet with the Warwick Education Committee at Pioneer to review the draft materials, ask questions and discuss the proposal of the Horace Mann II Conversion School.
Zack DeLuca can be reached at zdeluca@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 264.