Opinion: Support New Medfield Elementary School, Wheelock Campus

Medfield MA

07 May, 2021

12:35 PM

Description

MEDFIELD MA — The following opinion piece was written by the For Our Kids, For Our Town PAC pertaining to the Article 22 Dale Elementary School vote at town meeting. We write in full support of the New Elementary School at Wheelock Campus, and urge everyone to attend Annual Town Meeting on May 17 to vote against the Citizens' Petition seeking reconsideration of the Wheelock Campus Plan (Article 29). Quite simply, the Wheelock Campus Plan is the best choice for our kids, and the best decision for our Town. Best choice for our kids: The creation of a united Wheelock Campus for grades 2-5 drives educational efficiencies through shared staff amongst the buildings, improved teacher collaboration, and will foster a greater sense of community amongst the elementary grades. The 2-5 configuration aligns with the District's educational philosophy. Even after construction, the Wheelock campus offers open space for learning and recreation unrivaled by any other potential site. Best decision for our Town: Keeps the project on track and eliminates risk of losing $17-$18 million in financial support from the Commonwealth, along with $1 million that the Town has already invested to complete feasibility study. Avoids having to go back to the beginning of the multi-year process with little chance of receiving state aid for at least the next decade. Creates the possibility of converting current elementary school building on Dale Street for other Town uses, most notably a new home for the Parks and Recreation Department. As we all know, Parks and Recreation desperately needs a new facility as well, and updating this building for the Department's purposes will be far less expensive to the Town than building a brand new facility elsewhere (a recent projection for a new facility was $10 million, far eclipsing what it would take to renovate the Dale Street location). The Wheelock Campus Plan is the result of years of study, discussion, and open process. It has been approved unanimously by the School Building Authority, the School Committee, and the Select Board. The Warrant Committee has not had the chance to be heard on the Plan yet, since it will not come before Town Meeting for a vote until the Fall. However, the Warrant Committee voted unanimously to recommend dismissal of Article 29. Among the reasons cited by the Warrant Committee was the fact that the Plan has been developed through a fair and open process, and the next step in the normal course is to go to a vote at a Special Town Meeting, where a 2/3 vote will be necessary to approve funding for the project. Article 29 is a clear attempt to circumvent that process, and to do so with a vote that would only require a bare majority, not the increased scrutiny that project approval necessitates. Medfield benefits from a strong educational system which requires Dale replacement and modernization. Our Town deserves better than to have all this time and money wasted on what amounts to gamesmanship. Our kids deserve better too. With your support on May 17, our kids and our Town will be a step closer to getting the new elementary school they both deserve. For more info, please follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/New-Elementary-School-at-Wheelock-Campus-101641995428232/ For Our Kids, For Our Town PACMike Pastore, Chair – 6 Liberty RoadNicole Drummond, Treasurer – 8 Onodaga Road Co-Signed by:Lucille and Mark Fisher – 3 Kenney RoadErin and Brian Abbott – 30 West StreetMeghan and Brian Boudreau – 6 Pueblo RoadJennifer and Brian Casey – 12 Onondaga LaneKayleigh and Alex Carrington – 30 Indian Hill RoadElisabeth Colunio – 4 Loeffler RoadLauren and Peter Cragan – 34 Planting Field RoadSonia and Tom Cunningham – 5 Onondaga LaneRachel and Rob Daly - 17 Granite StreetJessica and Brian Fenwick - 34 Minute Man RdKim and Kevin Ferry - 6 Black Pine RoadMissey and Jerid Grandinetti – 17 Summer StreetStephen Greene – 21 Lee RoadJessica and Karl Kemp – 38 Oriole RoadJenny and Daniel Kinne – 6 Carmen circleMichelle and Loren Kirkby – 27 Planting Field RoadRuth McGary – 74 Pine StreetClair Meehan – 30 Cross StreetKatrina and Garrick Myers – 20 Maplewood RoadTara and Joseph Oliveto – 4 Lee RoadJessica Pastore – 6 Liberty RoadKatharine and Joseph Schipani - 4 Onondaga LaneJenny and Brian Shaw – 70 Flint Locke RoadNicola and Tyler Tessier – 19 Quarry RoadKristen Weber – 40 Planting Field RoadChristina and T.J. Wolfstitch – 18 Hatters HillRobert Worth – 44 South Street