Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional School Committee members Theodore Locke and George LeBlanc listen to discussion during last night’s meeting. (Photo by Hope E. Tremblay)
SOUTHWICK – The Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional School Committee voted to move forward on a study of the school buildings last night, which could close or find another use for the Granville Village School.
Under the regional agreement, a study is allowed of all buildings to determine, among other things, the need for each building. Granville Village School has had declining enrollment and this year, seventh and eighth grade students moved to the Southwick Regional School. Currently, there are just eight first graders at the school.
School Committee member Pamela Petschke, who represents Granville, was the only member to vote against starting the study.
“I can’t vote for initiating this study,” Petschke said, citing the will of Granville residents.
The timing of the study was a concern for Petschke, who said at the last meeting it seemed that once the Southwick campus renovation projects was nearly complete, the heat was turned up on closing the Village School.
“It sends a negative message to Granville residents,” she said.
Committee member George LaBlanc proposed the study and said it was not necessarily in order to close the school and the timing had little to do with the renovation project. LeBlanc said he brought it forward now simply because the committee is discussing the budget and funds should be set aside for the study.
“We’re not looking to do this for September 2016,” said LeBlanc.
Several residents of Granville spoke out against closing the school and asked several questions, which Superintendent John Barry said could not be answered without the study.
Granville resident Meg Putnam asked about costs to conduct the study, as well as the financial benefit of sending the students to the Southwick campus.
Brian Durphy asked why the study was being brought up now.
“I never thought this was an issue,” he said. “If you’re looking into how to best utilize the school, that’s fine, but not shutting it down.”
Putnam said if they close the school, they are “condemning Granville.”
Petschke said she believes that if transportation was not an issue, more families in Southwick and Granville would choose to send their children to the Granville Village School. Now, anyone who chooses that school must provide transportation.
She urged the committee to reconsider and said the Village School offers “a unique learning environment.”
Barry said last month that he hopes the study would not only look at closing the school, but options to keep it open.
