In a room filled with parents, the Gorham School Committee (SC) held a workshop on January 10 to discuss options for K-5 configuration in the district’s three elementary schools. Chairman Darryl Wright opened the discussion by emphasizing that no decision had been made and that the SC is still in the process of considering options. He expressed appreciation for the input the committee had received from parents.
Previously, at a workshop on December 27, the SC developed a list of priorities to use in making a decision: equality of educational opportunities, long-term planning/efficiency, efficient use of resources, equality in class size, and safe and secure buildings. They also decided to consider two additional configurations as well as the one recommended by a study committee commissioned by the School Committee. That recommendation was to retain the current configuration of three neighborhood schools. All options under consideration would be evaluated in relation to these priorities.
Between the December meeting and the January 10 workshop, 200 parents signed online petitions and another 50 sent e-mails to the School Committee that were overwhelmingly in support of maintaining neighborhood schools. At the regular January meeting held before the workshop, eleven parents and teachers urged the SC not to change the current configuration.
At the start of the School Committee’s discussion on January 10, Wright listed the themes, or concerns, that appeared most often in communications with parents. These included, among others, long-term vs. short-term planning, relationships between students and teachers, neighborhood schools, town growth rate, and not only looking at financial considerations.
In discussing long-term planning, the committee reviewed the recent rapid population growth that is driving the need to enlarge capacity in the Gorham schools. If this trend continues, the district would need to add more portables, add on to existing schools, or build a new school within five to ten years. When asked, Superintendent Perry said that although state aid for construction would be possible, Gorham probably would not be a high priority. As questions of local funding involve approval by the Town Council (TC), the committee felt it was important to meet with the TC to discuss long-term plans before making any decisions.
The School Committee did not eliminate any options during the meeting, but agreed that they will need to make some decisions about next year soon as any costs to be included in the FY19 budget need to be determined by April.
They asked that the Administration’s Leadership Team report back on what would be necessary to maintain the current K-5 configuration next year. This would give the School Committee more time to make a decision in line with a long-term plan.
The January 10 workshop was an opportunity for the SC to discuss these issues, not a forum for comments from the public. Those wishing to express opinions may do so at the next Town Council meeting scheduled for February 6 during the time set aside for public comment on items not on the agenda.