Speakers say Clarksville the center of hamlet’s community; district faced with $4M budget gap
Over 100 people turned out to the auditorium of Bethlehem Central Middle School last night to let the Board of Education know their thoughts on the prospect of closing an elementary school.
Though administrators splashed five scenarios on the screen (including doing nothing and redistricting all elementary students), it was clear a large portion of the crowd had come with concerns about a closure of Clarksville Elementary, a move administrators say would save the district nearly $900,000 in the year it’s shut down.
But for many in the audience living in Clarksville, with children enrolled there or with memories of its classrooms, it was clear a dollar amount could not be put on the value they place in the school.
Karena Collins said she graduated from Clarksville 20 years ago, and it played a definite role in putting her on a path to be a counselor, for which she is pursuing a masters degree.
I believe Clarksville Elementary had a hand in creating in me empathy and a desire to help others, she said. `What I remember most is the feeling of belonging, the warm and loving feeling of being part of something special.`
Many speakers said the school is a meeting space and a lynchpin for the entire hamlet.
`The closure of Clarksville would be tantamount to removing the heart of the community,` said Susan Dee.
Dee said she’d been working with a group of other concerned citizens and presented the board with an in-depth letter that not only addressed the role of Clarksville in the community, but brought up concerns that a mothballed school could deteriorate and become a blight on the hamlet.
A `Fiscal Think Tank` had last year identified the closure of Clarksville as one possible scenario to help put the district on the path to long-term fiscal stability. State aid to the district has been falling in recent years, and this year that’s contributing to a $4 million budget gap.
Adding to the problem is the fact elementary enrollment is dropping instead of increasing. Clarksville was left with 203 students this year, by far the lowest enrollment in the district. That has led to the propagation of multi-age classrooms, which some parents have objected to.
But Robert Jessup, the parent of a Clarksville student, said the school’s small, tight-knit atmosphere has been a boon to his child.
`The environment at Clarksville has actually been wonderful for him,` he said. `I think that small school environment is very important.`
But others argued Clarksville enrollment is already dangerously low, and if it should dip any more it would deprive students of growth opportunities like chances for socialization.
`Due to redistricting, this is not the same school it was five years ago,` read an online comment submitted by one of the roughly 150 at-home viewers of the forum.
Many in the audience last night clearly felt the closure of the school was a foregone conclusion. Board of Education President James Dering said comments the board has been receiving reflect that sentiment.
`I can assure you that no decision has been made. That’s the reason for these forums,` he said.
Also on the table is the closure of Elsmere Elementary School. Administrators figure that would save a comparable amount to closing Clarksville, but it would also require a full redistricting effort since the closure would impact a more densely populated area of the district and thus multiple schools.
A few members of the audience ` both at home and in person ` took pot shots at both institutions in defending their neighborhood school, but others urged civility and told their peers not to turn against one another. Still, some members of the Clarksville community said that as the only school outside the Town of Bethlehem they have long felt they are second class citizens.
Town of New Scotland Supervisor Tom Dolin argued his constituents pay a disproportional share of taxes, given the number of BC students from the town versus the portion of the levy paid by New Scotland residents.
`They are, as it turns out, subsidizing the education of other schools in the district,` he said.
No matter what option is chosen, it won’t entirely solve the district’s budget woes. The Board of Education is aiming to close $3 million of the budget gap, and is holding workshops in hopes of adopting a budget plan by April 6. So far, the plan includes shedding 42 teaching positions, in addition to other staff layoffs. School closures would involve the loss of additional jobs.
Then there is, of course, the belief long expressed by administrators that the state aid crisis is unlikely to rectify itself anytime soon. Some in the audience wondered at what point the district bottoms out on the cuts it can make while still providing a quality program.
`My concerns is that this is a stop-gap measure,` said Karen Williams. `It seems to me there are alternatives.`
There will be another public forum on facility closures on March 21 at the middle school.“
