To prepare for the upcoming feasibility study into Dublin’s withdrawal from the ConVal School District, members of the Dublin Education Advisory Committee (DEAC) will contact surrounding school districts and local private and charter schools to gather information for both in the study and the potential withdrawal.

At a meeting on Tuesday night, committee members agreed to reach out to representatives from the Mason, Keene, Jaffrey-Rindge and Harrisville school districts, along with The Well School and Lionheart Classical Academy in Peterborough, High Mowing School in Wilton, Mountain Shadows School, Dublin School, and Dublin Christian Academy.

Town Meeting approved a petition article calling on ConVal to initiate a feasibility study regarding withdrawal in response to a proposed reconfiguration of the district that could have resulted Francestown Elementary School, Dublin Consolidated School, Pierce School in Bennington and Temple Elementary School closing. The proposed reconfiguration failed at the ballot box.

The DEAC’s goal is to determine the best method of withdrawal from ConVal. DEAC member Blake Minckler noted he had recently attended a ConVal School Board meeting, where it was determined that Dublin has two main withdrawal options -- withdraw but remain in SAU 1, which would require that the town independently operate its elementary school without support from the SAU; or to exit SAU 1 completely and operate their own SAU, in which case they would have to find a way to tuition middle and high school students into nearby towns.

The board hopes to look at each school’s enrollment and financial data, as well as the structure and operation of each district, so Dublin could decide which model would fit the town best. Committee chair Jay Schechter singled out the Mason School District, which withdrew from the Mascenic School District to create its own school administrative unit (SAU) for its elementary school and tuitions students past the fifth grade to the Milford School District. He also cited Harrisville and Keene, which operate their own school districts under the larger umbrella of SAU 29. Schechter also expressed interest in reaching out to private schools for more information should the town withdraw from ConVal and operate its elementary school independently.

Noting that private schools have the ability to be selective with their enrollments, committee member Peter Imhoff questioned whether they should reach out to them at all, considering Dublin would be operating a public school.

Fellow committee member Blake Anderson pointed out that private schools are typically run like businesses, and will look for perceived shortcomings in the public school system in order to offer a competitive curriculum that could attract students looking for alternative education options. With that in mind, private schools could provide demographic data on the number of Dublin residents who choose not to enroll students into public schools, and insight on the potential curriculum Dublin could offer if it ends up withdrawing from the district.

“I think we’re a town that has a uniquely large percentage of people who choose not to use the public schools,” Anderson said. “That is a remarkable statement to how people perceive the quality of the public education in Dublin.”

DEAC member Jesse Marcum acknowledged the value of reaching out to private schools for more information, but reminded the committee that residents who send students to public schools were also making a choice, and it would be important to reach out to them for a fully comprehensive look into the state of education in Dublin.

Select board to meet with DEAC

At the Dublin Select Board meeting on Monday, board members expressed their intention to get more involved with the DEAC – specifically to help focus the committee’s goals and develop a clear timeline for the groups to follow in anticipation of the upcoming feasibility study.

Select Board Chair Chris Raymond also asked the DEAC to recommend a candidate to fill a vacant seat on the committee following the resignation of former member John Sistare. The Select Board would be responsible for appointing the new member.

The DEAC agreed to reach out to residents Traceymay Kalvaitis, who has previous School Board experience; and Holly Macy, the director of college counseling for Dublin School. DEAC representatives meet with the Select Board during their April  1 meeting. The next DEAC meeting will be April 2.

Additionally, the DEAC will hold a public meeting with representatives from Bennington, Temple and Francestown on Wednesday, April 3, to discuss the potential  impact of their withdrawal on the other smaller towns in the  district. The meeting will be held in the basement of the Dublin Town Hall at 6 p.m.