An open letter to the Warwick school community

Sadly, due to declining enrollment across the district, combined with the state-imposed tax levy limit, our Board of Education voted to reduce the number of schools in the district from five down to four. The decision to close a school is a gut-wrenching one for every board member. This decision was complicated because we had more than one building option to deliberate.

In the end there were two buildings that were under consideration: Kings Elementary and Park Avenue, representing a very difficult choice as each building offers its own unique advantages.

In the process of gathering data, the Board did its due diligence. We:

• Surveyed the community regarding their educational priorities.

• Reviewed the updated demographic data.

• Sought fiscal alternatives.
• Asked questions of the Superintendent and the administration.

• Met with the building principals.

• Toured the schools.
• Met with community leaders.

• Held public forums to get feedback from the community.

• Reviewed numerous letters and e-mails.

Each building option had plusses and minuses, and with the declining enrollment combined with the unusually low kindergarten enrollment for the next school year, the differences between the two buildings became fewer and fewer.

Yes, Park has more square footage, but Kings has more classrooms. The additional classrooms were, however, mitigated by the declining enrollment.

Yes, Kings is a newer building, but all the buildings in the district are well maintained and sound learning facilities. Certainly, it is clear to the Board that the families associated with each building value the educational opportunities that are provided.

Each board member struggled with this decision right down to the vote, as exemplified by the fact that the vote was six to three.

There has been public comment that this was a political decision or one that was somehow swayed by petitions, pressure, marketing or business interests. The Board has been simultaneously accused of being a “rubber stamp” for the Superintendent and malfeasance for failure to follow the initial recommendation of the Superintendent.

With board/Superintendent relations there is a constant back-and-forth of data to arrive at the decisions that impact our district. The Superintendent recommends an initial budget early in the process and then works with the board to determine a final budget.

For those board members who voted to close Kings over Park, the items that tipped the scale were:

• Easy access to the Albert Wisner Public Library.

• Easy access to museums and historical buildings.

• Hands-on learning opportunities such as collecting for the food pantry and delivering the items across the street.

• The Kings building is further from the road, making it less obtrusive as a closed building.

The district is currently on a path to become a three-building district. Unless something changes, it is likely that Park Avenue Elementary will close in a few years, leaving Sanfordville Elementary, the Middle School and the High School.

The issues that the district faces go well beyond enrollment, advertising revenue, tax ratables, and/or district consolidation or mergers for as long as the tax “cap” remains in place. For example:

• Increasing enrollment will help justify keeping buildings open, but with the tax “cap” in place, increases in enrollment will cut into program because of the limits on increasing tax revenue to offset the increase in enrollment.

• Advertising revenue may help to keep some of the extras, yet if approved by the state these revenues would bring new complications such as; who do we want advertising in the schools and how do we find the advertisers.

• Tax ratables in the form of new housing starts tend to bring in families that cost the district more than they generate in revenue, and in light of the tax “cap”, eat into program as mentioned in increased enrollment above.

• Tax ratables that do not consume district resources, i.e.: commercial, industrial or senior citizens housing, greatly help to reduce the tax burden on the rest of the community, yet do not add monies to the school, because of the tax “cap”.

• District consolidations or mergers definitely help to reduce the overall tax burden on the community by virtue of a reduction in expenses by combining overhead functions. This reduction provides a one-time relief resulting in a more efficient district, which would then be subject to the same tax “cap” constraints on an ongoing basis.

The focus of this board has been, and will continue to be, maintaining a superior program offering and excellence in education. To that end, we look to the staff within the district as opposed to the individual buildings when making the tough decisions at hand.

A gut-wrenching decision like this is made more complex and heartbreaking when we watch our friends and neighbors become polarized over the issue and take positions against one another.

It is our fervent desire that we can all come together, focus on education our children, and prepare for the future difficult decisions that this district will face with a common purpose.

We have heard and witnessed the love that you all have for your schools, teachers and staff; we have heard your concerns about class size; we have heard the concerns about maintaining property values throughout the district and about transportation times to the schools.

As a board, we will proceed with the knowledge of your concerns as we address the tough issues facing our mutual future. We will do so with the ardent hope that the community comes together to focus on the important mission of educating our children to prepare them for the future.

David Eaton is president of the Warwick Valley School Board.