OPINION: "Letter from Medfield Alums supporting Wheelock campus"

Medfield MA

08 October, 2021

9:52 AM

Description

OPINION... Letter to the Editor, As town alumni we write this letter in support of the new elementary school at the Wheelock campus. Having grown up in Medfield it speaks volumes that we chose to return to our hometown to raise our families. Our history in this community gives us a unique perspective of its wonderful attributes and rich past. We recognize how fortunate we are to live in such a close-knit and supportive community. We also acknowledge that by residing in this town we value its charm. All thing considered, we feel it is time to support the teachers, the administration, the elected officials, and the countless volunteers who all deem the Wheelock location to be the best site for our future school. The school board, the building committee, and the board of selectmen did not decide to move forward with the Wheelock location in haste; rather, they spent countless hours over many years weighing the pros and cons of each of the potential locations throughout town. We urge all town residents to voice their opinion and prioritize this crucial vote this fall. Unfortunately, the decision on where to build the new school has divided our town citizens. We have no doubt that every voting member in our community wants what is best for our children, yet we are worried that the consequence of this division will result in no school at all. To be clear, this vote is not for a preferred location, the vote this fall is either 'yes' for a new school at Wheelock now or 'no' for rejection of the current plan. Most of us attended Dale Street School in our elementary years, and it was in poor condition back then. Voting no will negate all the hard work and thoughtful process that has happened to date. We can do better for our children and the future children of Medfield. It is time put our differences aside. As parents with young children, we are grateful for the years of work that have gone into this development and fear that we are at risk of losing substantial financial support from the state if we do not move forward. We acknowledge the unanimous vote for the Wheelock location by the Board of Selectman, the School Building Committee, and the School Committee. We respect the opinions of the teachers and staff at the current Dale Street School, who have overwhelmingly stated their desire for the new campus at Wheelock. We intend to support our teachers, and we hope you choose to do the same. We believe the Wheelock campus is the best choice for our town and our children, as it offers a much larger and more appropriate campus for education and recreation combined. Creating shared resources between grades 2-5 will enable more efficiency, collaboration, and productivity among the administration and teaching staff. We believe a single campus is less disruptive for elementary students and more helpful for parents to have their children in one location. In addition, we are hopeful that the existing Dale Street school can be re-purposed for the Parks and Recreation Department in the future. We anticipate that our children might also be so proud of their town and education that they too will want to raise their families here one day. That only happens if we truly invest in the future of Medfield today. Sincerely, Lindsay Bingenheimer '97 – 19 Marlyn Rd. Emily Consilvio '97Chris Davidson '95 – 15 Oriole Rd. Jen and Mark Dondero '04 – 5 Lawrence Ct. Chris Finn '07 – Jacob Cushman Bill Foran '95 John and Megan Fratolillo '95 & '97 – 22 Arnold Dr.Artie Georgacopoulos '00 - 11 Stuart St.Mike Hartery '01 – 26 Summer St. Casey Hatten '02 – 3 Carmen Cir. Margot Hayes '01 – 3 Oak. St. Matt Keigan '97 – 4 Quail RunElizabeth Killian '05Jean St. Pierre Kingsbury '73 -64 Adams St. Kristen Lipschutz '01 – 2 Wheelright Rd.Shannon Connelly Majumdar '05 - 3 Cross St.Kevin & Jessie McCabe '00 – 12 Hilltop Cir. Sean & Courtney McCarthy '96 & '97 – 6 Willow Cir.Steve McManama '96 – 1 Penobscot Alex Monahan '04 – 3 Inness Cir.Katrina Myers '00 - 20 Maplewood Rd.Kristen Page '00 – 42 Cypress St. Ken Pickering '98 – 26 Cheney Pond Rd.Kathryn Postulka '96 – 58 Orchard St. Nick Scobbo '94 – 134 South St. Bill & Julie Steinkrauss '03 & '04 – 17 Stonybrook Rd.Lauren Sullivan '95 – 5 Jefferson WayAshley & Robert Tanguay '01 – 19 Tamarack Rd. Kristen Weber '98 - 40 Planting Field Rd.