DANVILLE, Vt. (WCAX) – With school consolidation on the minds of many around the state, Danville residents will vote this weekend on a non-binding measure to close the town’s high school.
Danville High School students are hard at work this week, but whether or not they’ll learn in their current classrooms next year is on the minds of many.
“It’s definitely brought up a lot of tense moments when we bring up what’s going on,” said Jordan Sullivan-Stevens, a Danville eighth grader.
She says it’s a divisive topic amongst her peers, who would have to change schools next year if the closure goes through. Sullivan-Stevens says she’s had the opportunity to go to private schools but has chosen to stay at Danville. “I want to be here. This is where I want to graduate, and it’s not just because my family’s been here — like a lot of people think that. It’s because this is where I think I get the best education,” she said.
The Saturday vote comes after a community member brought a petition forward to close grades 9 through 12 and to tuition students to independent high schools out of concern that statewide education reform efforts could mean losing school choice if the school eventually closes.
But some parents say the decision is too rushed. “We’ve been unable to have a robust discussion about what we want for our community about the future of education, and I’m really deeply concerned about the many collateral costs of closing down this school,” said Nicole Civita Hallam, a local parent.
An affirmative vote would only be a recommendation of closure to the school board.
School Board Chair Clayton Cargill is not convinced that closing is the answer. “We can’t find money savings in this. We find initially there would be a bump in spending. But overall, the plan, the Act 73 plan of closing high schools and redistricting — nobody’s proven that it will save any money,” Cargill said.
The community can vote at the gym at 3 p.m. Saturday. Shuttles are available for those who need transportation.
