By:Andrew Coen
Less than two months after a feasibility study was launched to explore consolidating the Lawrence Public Schools from seven buildings to six, the plan has suddenly been dropped.
Lawrence Superintendent Dr. John Fitzsimons announced the decision to quash his plan at the March 23 school board meeting, which drew loud applause from the nearly packed Lawrence Middle School auditorium. Since the consolidation plan was made public in February, parents and district staff members have voiced strong opposition to it. Teachers feared losing their jobs, and parents expressed concern about the proposal to close the Number Six School in Woodmere.
According to Fitzsimons, after a number of meetings and a walk-through of the Number Six School, it was determined that seventh- and eighth-graders could not be accommodated in the building. Under the plan, the superintendent had proposed to eventually move Lawrence Middle School students into the Number Six School building and convert the current middle school into a high school.
The Number One, Two and Five Schools would have enrolled grades one through six, and the middle school would have taken in only seventh- and eighth-graders, while the high school building would have been turned into administrative offices, with the remaining space possibly available for leasing. The first phase of the plan was scheduled to begin this fall, when the district-s fifth-graders would have remained at their elementary schools for sixth grade.
The board has advised me, and I concur, that we ought to make it clear it doesn-t look at all like we-re going to be able to retain the fifth-graders [at the Number Six School], so they-ll be coming over to the middle school next year, said Fitzsimons. However, I want to be perfectly clear that I have asked the committee to look at other options.
The feasibility study will now explore which of the five elementary schools would make the most sense to close, according to Fitzsimons. I-m asking the feasibility groups to take a look at the elementary schools to see if there is a way to consolidate the schools, he said.
According to Fitzsimons, the schools least likely to close are the Number Six in Woodmere and the Number Two in Inwood, since they are the newest and largest buildings. The Number One, Five and Four are the ones that will be looked at most closely, but they are all being looked at, he said.
Fitzsimons also said that he eliminated the idea of having the high school enroll grades 7 through 12, as is done in the nearby East Rockaway school district. That idea, he said, was not met with much support by the stakeholders involved with the feasibility study, which includes parents, teachers and administrators.
Lawrence Central Council PTA President Nancy Piccirillo said she supports the feasibility study to explore consolidation if it is done at a slow pace with a five-year census projection. The superintendent has been pushing to consolidate schools to respond to declining enrollment and to save the district money.
We believe that in order to gain the confidence and support of the community and staff, a projected five-year census should be conducted, said Piccirillo. When the census is completed and if the study proves that [consolidation] will enhance the education of all of our children, we will then be able to give you our full support.
Fitzsimons also announced that more teachers have been added to work on the feasibility study, which drew praise from Lawrence Teachers Association Vice President P.J. Terkoski, who added that he wants the study to go slowly.
We are grateful that Dr. Fitzsimons has now agreed to include the teaching staff on the feasibility study committees. However, it is clear that the mission to determine what will be the most effective educational configuration and fiscally responsible plan will take time, said Terkoski. We will support consolidation that is based on a consensus among the stakeholders and which makes educational sense for our students. But in order to have our support, you must do a thorough study, leave no stone unturned and approach the problem with one goal in mind: assuring future generations of Lawrence students the same high quality of education as past generations of Lawrencians have received. They deserve nothing less.
The decision to halt the controversial plan pleased Lawrence Village Trustee Martin Oliner, who was concerned about the extra traffic that would have been generated on Broadway had the high school moved to the middle school location. I am very pleased, said Oliner. Rational thinking has prevailed.
Fitzsimons talked about the need for major capital improvements to the current high school building. That location and that site in that building needs major capital projects, he said. The board is going to have to consider at some point in time drafting another bond, which would address some of the problems not only at the high school but the other schools as well, since you cannot do it out of an operating budget.
Lawrence Middle School sixth-grader Kaitlin Daddona voiced concern about the turmoil that the district has experienced of late, with the uncertain future of the schools. In the past, Lawrence-s Number Five School has been a great experience, and I have met so many new friends, she said. Now all I can say is that it is almost an embarrassment to be in the Lawrence school district. Lawrence was once a pride-oriented district where people collaborated in helping each other when times were rough. Now when I think about it, turmoil and lack of pride come to my mind. We trusted the superintendent to make a change for the better, and instead things couldn-t be worst.
In addition to representatives from the teachers association being added to the next feasibility study, Fitzsimons also announced that members of the secretaries association, Local 237, and the head custodians and volunteers from the PTA will also be involved. It-s much more inclusive, he said. I think it was a mistake not to include those folks when we first formed the committee.
We have to be very clear on what our educational philosophy is and should be and make sure that it is reflected in our decision, said Michelle Lineal, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, who is leading a group studying the impact on instructional programs.
Fitzsimons said he hopes to have some clearer findings from the feasibility study at the April 20 school board meeting, which will be held at Lawrence Middle School at 8 p.m.
