The early word is that Prismatic is recommending that four elementary schools be closed, saving $2.5 million. For this, ConVal paid $150,000? I have two observations.

The $2.5 million is dangling out there as the bait. Do we all realize that ConVal this past year had a $2.8 million surplus from operations and gave only $1.8 million back to our towns? (Of course they could have given the whole $2.8 million back but did not.) So let our taxpayers weigh the significance of a proposal to save $2.5 million (by closing the four smallest schools), in light of observing that a similar savings could be achieved by simply not inflating the budget. Please cut the budget.

Second, apparently nothing else was analyzed. What are the savings (and improved opportunities ) resulting from combining the two middle schools? The same question for moving the eighth grade to the high school? Where should fifth grade be? No analysis.

Here is the key sentence in their report: “Prismatic asserts that what is best for ConVal students is a smaller number of elementary schools, combined with increased options for secondary students.”

Perhaps an alternative assertion might be -- “What is best for the ConVal School District is combined middle schools, a better high school and a sincere effort to cut the ConVal budget.”

Gail Cromwell

Temple