NEW: Woonsocket May be Forced to Close School
Wednesday, August 08, 2012
Woonsocket’s Budget Commission announced last week that it may vote to close Fifth Avenue School before the beginning of the school year to help defray costs in the upcoming year. This option has always been a possibility since the Budget Commission formed earlier this year to review the budget of the city.
“Closing this school will cause a disruption in the education of Fifth Avenue students,” stated Jeffrey Partington, President of the Woonsocket Teachers’ Guild. “While I appreciate that the Budget Commission has a difficult job to do, displacing these teachers and students will cause a break in the trust that those families have in their chidren's educators and those that make decisions for Woonsocket’s children.”
The Budget Committee will hold a public meeting at Hamlet Middle School Wednesday, August 8 at 5pm to discuss the 2012-2013 budget, including the closing of Fifth Avenue. At 7pm, the regular School Committee meeting will begin and on its agenda is the vote on the closing of Fifth Avenue School. On Thursday, the Budget Commission will review the School Committee vote and decide whether or not the school will close.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTIf the school does close, then Fifth Avenue teachers will be moved to other buildings in the district and the students will be moved to nearby shools.
“If the Budget Committee members determine that they have no choice but to close Fifth Avenue because of budgetary restraints, then we urge the Superintendent to include the WTG and her displaced members to help in the transition period as soon as possible," Partington said. "After all, it will be the teachers that will have to help these students and their families understand and persevere through yet another change in their children's educational experience.”
