WESTFIELD – The City Councilor voted 9-3 to approve an agreement between the School Committee and the Russell Board of Selectmen to lease the former Russell Elementary School.
The lease, an initial 18 months, with three six-month options, is the solution that the School Committee selected to house students who have been attending Juniper Park School under a lease agreement between the city and the state.
That school, located on the Western Avenue campus of Westfield State University, is being returned to WSU for its expanding academic programming.
Several of the councilors who voted against the resolution approving the Russell school building lease said they opposed sending Westfield children out of the city, but saw no other viable option.
At-large Councilor Dan Allie expressed the opinion of many councilors.
“I think we could have done better, but in this situation I can’t see how we vote against this,” Allie said.
Ward 2 Councilor Ralph Figy, in whose ward a new elementary school was supposed to be constructed, said “It’s not an ideal solution, but it’s the only solution available to us.”
At-large Councilor Cindy Harris said the council had no voice in the School Committee’s decision-making process.
“This is atrocious,” Harris said. “Residents are paying taxes and we’re sending their children across the city line. I’m appalled.”
At-large Councilor Brent B. Bean II, who voted against the resolution along with Councilors James R. Adams and Robert A. Paul Sr., said that the city has been “self-contained” in providing services, incluuding education, to city residents but “now we’re shipping our kids to Russell.”
“I can’t see how we can support this,” Bean said.
Council President Brian Sullivan said he also opposed the resolution but added “that we have to vote yes because it’s the only thing we can do.”
“It’s not a sweet deal, there’s nothing sweet about sending our children out of the city, but it is something we do have to do,” Sullivan said.
Ward 3 Councilor Brian Hoose said that the city initiated the new elementary school project at the same time as the town of Southampton which has completed that construction effort. Hoose said that city children would be attending the proposed school if it had not been delayed by court challenges and other efforts to kill that project.
“This problem is our responsibility,” Hoose said. “It’s our responsibility in having safe, healthy schools. We’re allowing self interest to hold back our kids. Let’s get this done and over with (regarding new school construction).”
