During a ConVal School Board public hearing Tuesday night, a warrant article proposing amendments to the district’s Articles of Agreement brought a question from residents.

The proposed amendment to the ConVal’s 1967 Articles of Agreement would require elementary schools to be maintained in Antrim, Greenfield, Hancock and Peterborough, as opposed to requiring them in those four towns as well as Bennington, Dublin, Francestown and Temple. The amendment is in conjunction with the proposal to close the elementary schools in Bennington, Dublin, Francestown and Temple, which must pass by a two-thirds majority March 12.

In public comment session, several residents questioned the wording of the warrant article and whether the wording would eliminate the possibility of having elementary schools in Bennington, Francestown, Dublin and Temple in the future if populations were to rebound. 

John Manley of Bennington expressed his concerns about the closing of Pierce School in Bennington.

“It seems to me, the way this article is written, if it passes, you will not have a choice to ever  have schools in Bennington, Temple, Francestown and Dublin going forward.  I hope you take a good look at that,” Manley said. “The most-vital building in the whole town is the school;  when you close that down, it is going to change a lot things. I am sure that is true in all the towns as well, and there are a lot of questions about what will happen to these buildings.”

ConVal Superintendent Kimberly Rizzo Saunders said the amendment would not preclude having schools in the four towns in the future. 

“The board would never have a choice about maintaining the schools in the four schools that will remain open. It does not say that you cannot have schools in the four small towns. It does not preclude small schools from existing; it says we must have schools in the four towns listed in the amendment,” she said.  

Rizzo Saunders also responded to several questions about the timeline of school closures and the possibility that the towns slated for closure would consider leaving the cooperative district. 

“The only town that could vote on leaving the district this year would be Peterborough, since they vote in May. Unless they voted this year, the other towns would not be able to get this on the ballot until 2025,” Rizzo Saunders said. 

Rizzo Saunders noted if the warrant passes,  planning for reconfiguration in 2025-2026 will be the district’s and the schools board’s sole priority for 2024-2025. 

The School Board also held a public hearing on the 2024-2025 budget proposal of approximately $58.4 million, up $548,615. Shoud the budget fail, the default budget would be $57.8 million.

School Board chair Dick Dunning encouraged all members of the public to attend the ConVal deliberative session on Feb. 6 at 6 p.m. in the ConVal High School gym.  The snow date for the deliberative session is Feb. 7. 

The ConVal School Board meeting and event schedule, minutes and agendas and the reconfiguration study are available at schoolboard.convalsd.net.