The Dublin Education Advisory Committee (DEAC) and similar groups from Bennington and Francestown hope to improve communication between their three committees and the ConVal School Board after a meeting last Wednesday evening where members from all three groups expressed a shared dissatisfaction with how the board has handled communication.

The meeting, hosted by the DEAC at Dublin Town Hall, allowed the three groups to share and coordinate their thoughts as the School Board begins feasibility studies regarding Dublin’s and Francestown’s potential withdrawal from the ConVal school district. A committee of School Board and select board members from each of ConVal’s nine towns is conducting the studies, and will prepare a report for the state Board of Education to either recommend or not recommend withdrawal.

While these education committees are not directly involved with the studies, they are each tasked with analyzing the state of education within their towns, and will advise their select boards on what they feel is the best option for educating their students.

Though Bennington is not currently considering withdrawal, Selectman Jim Cleary said the town may look into filing for a withdrawal feasibility study depending on the outcome of the current studies, but he still has a lot of lingering questions. Cleary described making a comment at a past School Board meeting, and expressed frustration over feeling like his point wasn’t heard.

“Not one of [the School Board] had their heads up to acknowledge I was even speaking. It was pretty discouraging. I think we’ve got to communicate better with them,” he said. “With this feasibility study, I don’t know if answers to our questions are going to be there.”

DEAC chairman Jay Schechter agreed.

“The questions they have no answers for are questions that they have been asked repeatedly,” Schechter said, and he questioned why they still haven’t been answered.

Laura Mafera of Francestown’s Resident Education Committee said that while she had attempted to communicate with the School Board in the past, she had yet to get any responses from them. She added that the Francestown Select Board was similarly dissatisfied with communication from the School Board.

DEAC member Blake Minckler said that the committee’s goal was to be more transparent, and they were working on ways to better involve the community and keep them informed, potentially through a survey or in-person event where they could get input and feedback from residents.

While attendees didn’t have any specific ideas on how to improve communication between their groups and the ConVal School Board, Schechter hoped that there would be some progress at the first meeting of the feasibility study committee on April 25.

Also discussed at some length was how Dublin would provide special education if the town were to withdraw from ConVal. DEAC member Bill Gurney broke down several potential options, depending on the method of withdrawal. If the town remained in the SAU, ConVal could provide special education services. If the town withdrew from the SAU entirely, Dublin would be financially responsible for finding special education for its students.

Schechter, who recently met with representatives from Lionheart Classical Academy, a charter school in Peterborough, noted that ConVal provides special education services to Lionheart.

The DEAC will be hosting a public forum with New Hampshire Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, April 30, in the basement of Dublin Town Hall.