Open letter to Ray Bryant and the Warwick School Board
I was at (Monday) night’s School Board meeting and now I am regretting not getting up to speak during the public comments section. A Kings School parent spoke eloquently of a few reasons she thought Kings should stay open and I wanted to list a few reasons why I believe Park Ave has the advantage over Kings.
Either way, I can appreciate the magnitude of your and the school board’s decision and I understand the difficulty as well as the need to close one school.
I would not trade places with any of you.
When the budget forced field trips to be cancelled, Park Ave was still able to provide them. On one field trip, students visit the numerous historical sights that are within a safe walking distance from Park Ave, itself a historical building.
A second field trip is provided to the new state-of-the-art library, also safely walked to on new sidewalks.
A third field trip is walked to, a field day, enjoyed at Stanley Deming Park.
With farms, hospital, animal hospitals, Post office, bakeries, bookstore, lumberyards as well as a thriving business district nearby, all are walkable ... the list goes on and on.
Park Ave is building a outdoor classroom adjacent to the school on another historic sight, Hallowed Ground featuring the sculpture of renowned artist Frederick Franck.
With the new busing routes instituted last year many families now walk to school. Many families, mine included, choose to walk even though we are provided with a bus. It takes us eight minutes door-to-door and if we are running late we cut across the park and make it in less than six. The kids always enjoy when we “beat” the bus to school!
Surely we can expand this distance and offer a greater savings to the transportation budget, help battle childhood obesity, as well as giving the kids a true sense of community they would achieve from walking with neighbors to school.
My kids look forward to the warmer weather when they can start riding their bikes to school once again.
Perhaps there is a way to make Park Ave a “walkers only” school. I know state law requires a bus seat for every child but we can still do that, the child would be bused to Sanfordville. If you choose to walk or drive, Park Ave is another option. As a man claimed (Monday) night, none of these mandates are written in stone.
The effect on real estate values would certainly take a bigger hit if Park Ave were to be closed. The business district would face a crisis that would prove irreparable to some. With a vanishing downtown, all homes in Warwick, whether you live in the village or town, are a newcomer or have been here for generations, will go down in value.
This town does not need an empty school building as the first thing people see on one of the main gateways to the village.
With lower real estate values comes a lower tax base and this will only hurt the school district, which gets it’s majority of revenue through school taxes, even more.
It is refreshing to see the pride many parents have in their school building as well as their children’s education. I thank you for taking the time to “hear” me and I thank you and the board for all your hard work.
Sincerely,
Rick Peddle
Warwick