In the ConVal district, we strive to offer an equitable education, enriching educational experiences and achieving a higher standard of safety for our students.

Our emphasis is to enhance/improve programming and offerings at the middle and high school and to combine resources for greater efficiency and effectiveness at the elementary level. Children at the middle and high school levels are not being given the resources they need to achieve their best.

By policy, the following are class sizes recommended by grade: kindergarten 15 to 18, first and second grade 18 to 20, third and fourth grade 20 to 22 and fifth grade 22 to 25.

Children thrive in competitive learning environments where they are challenged to perform to the limits of their abilities by teachers and peers, In micro-sized learning environments, there is less opportunity to be educationally challenged and learn to the maximum of one’s ability. The grade level micro-sized classes in these four towns have not increased in size in years and are projected to remain micro-sized in these towns for the foreseeable future. This is unfair to our most prized responsibilities – our children. Zoning restrictions, availability of housing, affordability of housing and the age of people buying available housing has led to this problem.

Tax savings

The projected $2.4 million to $4 million annual tax savings is a conservative real saving of 4.1% to 6.8% of our budget. Some of these funds may support additional programs without a tax increase. Some may go back to the taxpayers. Spreading resources across underutilized schools is not cost-effective or efficient. It is easy to recognize that these expenditures in our underutilized schools are not required to provide the quality education we all desire for our children.

What is the change to the Articles of Agreement?

The current Articles of Agreement, as relate to this activity state, “Elementary schools shall be maintained in Antrim, Bennington, Dublin, Francestown, Greenfield, Hancock, Peterborough and Temple.” We are simply changing that sentence to “Elementary schools shall be maintained in Antrim, Greenfield, Hancock and Peterborough.” This change gives the authority to your School Board to determine the disposition of the other town elementary schools. This type of authority rests with almost all other school boards in this country. It does not say nor imply that we will close any or all of these four schools. That decision will be made after over a year of intensive community involved analysis, as it should be. That is all that warrant Article 10 does.

What are the important issues to consider?

The most important issues to consider in this activity are providing the safest, most educationally rich, cost-effective, community sensitive and preparatory opportunity for our students to achieve in their chosen lives after high school, regardless of whether it is higher education or immediate career. At this stage in their lives, we are a major controlling part of our children’s lives Let’s not waste it.

Why is your vote important on March 12?

The School Board wants your input. We realize we cannot continue with the status quo. We have studied the issue, and have come up with a plan we feel maximizes benefits for students and taxpayers alike. This is your opportunity to weigh in and help us decide the direction we should go as a district. We are blessed in this country to have a working democratic process. Your vote counts no matter what your race, economic background, orientation, political leaning or education. At the polls we are all equal. Don’t waste this opportunity to be part of the solution.

Why is consolidation important?

Consolidation is important to consider so that instead of wasting hard-to-find resources and not providing the needed cost-effective enriched education that we are charged with providing to all of our students, we can be forward looking in our approach. Consolidation will allow the School Board to provide the students of the district with an enriched education more cost effectively and efficiently. The School Board is responsible for all students in all grades in every town in our district.

If starting a new district today, would we build eight elementary schools?

No, we would not, knowing that some of our eight elementary schools are underutilized and will continue to be so, as we are not receiving the student populations they were designed for, also knowing that we can provide a safer and more-enriched education to all with fewer schools. We must efficiently take advantage of the limited available education resources we need. Most important is our responsibility to our children to get the best education possible within a responsible budget.

How will consolidation affect your town and the ConVal community?

There will be an effect on all towns, whether sending or receiving. This is an important issue. A good portion of the time we will be spending on the analysis with the communities will allow us to properly address this issue to the fullest extent possible. We, your School Board, are also members of these towns and will be affected by the impact of each town. We currently believe that by being forward-looking, we can mitigate most if not all negative effects and develop positive effects looking at each town individually and then collectively.

Alan Edelkind is chairman of the ConVal School Board’s Strategic Organization Committee.