To the editor:
Study after study, accessible through the Small Schools Coalition’s Research Library, reveals what we in Barrington already know: Smaller, more intimate neighborhood schools …
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To the editor:
Study after study, accessible through the Small Schools Coalition’s Research Library, reveals what we in Barrington already know: Smaller, more intimate neighborhood schools work best.
This has been the cornerstone of Barrington’s elementary model for decades, and we as a community enjoy phenomenal schools as a result. These schools are beloved by children and parents and have become fixtures in their neighborhoods, compelling people from all over the region and world to move here to share their lives with us.
Every morning from September to June, there’s something precious about seeing nearly a hundred parents walking their children to and from school. It’s the social glue of the entire Sowams neighborhood.
In Sept. 2021, the Barrington School Building Committee wrote to Mario Carreiro, the director of the RIDE School Building Authority, that the town of Barrington and BPS was pleased to submit a Stage 1 Application for the Necessity of School Construction.
This is a lie.
There was minimal community engagement. This was repeated only a few weeks ago. After a brief presentation by the chosen architecture firm, the building committee discussed the options and quickly selected Option 2B, to demolish Sowams School, consolidate pre-K and kindergarten at Nayatt, construct two large elementary schools for grades 1-5 at Primrose Hill and Hampden Meadows, and build a new high school. Cost to taxpayers? Roughly $100 million to start, the single most significant expenditure in town history. True to form, the vote was taken before community comment. Decisions first, debate later.
The school and building school committees have a lot to answer for. They invite public comment only after decisions are made. They publish meeting schedules at varied times only at the last possible moment. They knowingly release misleading surveys.
As there has been little meaningful community engagement, we are calling for the town council to delay the vote to approve Option 2B. We are within reach of the November elections, where a new committee will be seated. We are on the edge of a potential economic recession, where a tax increase to pay for this project may price long-time residents out of town and prevent young families from moving in. We are still recovering from the negative educational impact of distance learning caused by the pandemic. And against decided educational science, the building committee is moving in the wrong direction, away from the tried-and-true neighborhood schools that make us so great toward economies of scale, larger schools that have proven more detrimental to academic success.
Take a step back.
Reevaluate.
Listen.
Our elected town officials often say a development project is not right for Barrington. Option 2B is one such project. Pushing it through despite constant negative feedback is wrong. We call on you to reject any plan that shutters Sowams School or any other neighborhood school.
A copy of this letter and all signatories can be found at https://www.savesowamsschool.com/post/letter
Signed,
Robert Swarts, 421 Sowams Road
Deqiang Zhang, 421 Sowams Road
Debra C Nyser, 30 Adelaide Ave.
Dawn Bucci, Fireside Drive
Anthony Bucci, Fireside Drive
Richard Guerra, 15 Bullock Ave.
Michelle Ristuccia, 47 Meadowbrook Drive
Skip Mattos, 47 Meadowbrook Drive
Paul Dulchinos, Sr., 20 Walnut Road
Lorena Kala, 5 Heritage Road
Maria Vassilieva, 11 Anthony Road
Susannah Holloway, 64 Fales Ave.
Lisa Treat, 23 Bradford St.
Macken Dolan, 23 Bradford St.
Kerri-Anne Mallet, 5 Westwood Lane
Andi O’Hearn, 9 Blanding Ave.
Pamela Judge, 242 Sowams Road
Molly Magnuson, 17 Burr Ave.
Bill Magnuson, 17 Burr Ave.
Nick Angert, 4 Copper Kettle Lane
Melissa Angert, 4 Copper Kettle Lane
Lisa Daft, 5 Robbins Drive
Scott Fuller, 23 Belvedere Ave.
Pamela Fuller, 23 Belvedere Ave.
Kathleen Mancini, 2 Gregory Court
Jamie Triebwasser, 139 Nayatt Road
Andrew Triebwasser, 139 Nayatt Road
Karen Montecalvo, 7 Bullock Ave.
Keith Montecalvo, 7 Bullock Ave.
Gary Hychko, 6 Cold Spring Road
Heather Ryan, 99 Roffee St.
Jarrod Ryan, 99 Roffee St.
Christina Bortz, Sowams Road
Patricia MacGillivray, 140 County Road
Anna Amiradaki, 20 Burr Ave.
Heidi Fanion, 1 Grant St.
Cara Starr Longo, 361 New Meadow Road
Sarah Kennedy, 5 Belvedere Ave.
Faiza Adnan, 11 Charles St.
Alicia Haas, Teed Ave.
Allison Clark, 5 Mathewson Road
Karen Occhialini, 5 Copper Kettle Lane
Victor Occhialini, 5 Copper Kettle Lane
Carissa Paup, 6 Sowams Road
Raymond Clark, 5 Mathewson Road
Kiela Daley, 7 Greenbrier Drive
William Jacobson, Hampden Meadows
Wendy Jacobson, Hampden Meadows
Brian Rua, 2 Deep Meadow Road
Leslie Lynne Saylor, 15 Meadowbrook Drive
Stefanie Caliri, 188 New Meadow Road
Frank Caliri, 188 New Meadow Road
Susan Grieve, 5 Christine Drive
Steven Grieve, 5 Christine Drive
Matthew Grieve, 5 Christine Drive
Michael Grieve, 5 Christine Drive
James Marshall, 4 Indigo Road
Lila Marshall, 4 Indigo Road
Calli Kwon, 11 Stanley Drive
James Kwon, 11 Stanley Drive
Laura Larrivee, 140 Promenade St.
Ursula Wade, 8 Ridgeland Road
Robert Star, 4 Carriage Trail
Jason Rahmani, 30 Linden Road
Tammie Guerra, 15 Bullock Ave.
Rob Gonsalves, 4 New Hampshire Ave.
Holly Gonsalves, 4 New Hampshire Ave.
Kaitlan Kyriakos, 15 Hilltop Ave.
Nicholas Kyriakos, 15 Hilltop Ave.
Stephen Hicks, 6 Alden Road
Hillary Hollis, 24 Meadowbrook Drive
Matt Hollis, 24 Meadowbrook Drive
Crystal Dabir, 5 Burr Ave.
Mike Laliberte, 97 Roffee St.
Monica Laliberte, 97 Roffee St.
Pam Roche, 3 Walker Farm Lane
Matt Roche, 3 Walker Farm Lane
Sharon Santos, 11 Western Ave.
Chris Poirier, 11 Chantilly Drive
Richard Kala, 5 Heritage Road
Amy Forbes, 11 Adams Point Road
Rebecca Kaplan, 36 Sweetbriar Road
Kellis Blanchet, 260 New Meadow Road
Jeff Blanchet, 260 New Meadow Road
Amanda Hope, 5 Deep Meadows Road
Deborah Shea, 3 Starbrook Drive
Robin Mulligan, 16 Woodland Road
Victoria Lambrozo, 130 County Road
Gina Pine, 479 New Meadow Road
Amy Curti, 5 Circle Drive
Alexia Taxiarchos, 5 George W Finnerty Road
Mary Grenier, 10 Watson Ave.
Megan Coleman, 210 Foote St.
Christopher Coleman, 210 Foote St.
Kimberly Hood, 85 Rumstick Road
David Hood, 85 Rumstick Road
Sara Catanzaro, 368 Rumstick Road
Jessica Liberatos, 4 Deep Meadow Road
Gerasimos Liberatos, 4 Deep Meadow Road
Pamela Van Ness, 30 Lillis Ave.
David Norton, 16 Thomas St.
Heather D Nelson, 5 Meadowbrook Drive
Christopher Gauthier, 5 Meadowbrook Drive
Colleen Dupre, 48 Latham Ave.
Jessica Brouillard, 78 Highland Ave.
Kip Godbout, 135 Ferry Lane
Kate Godbout, 135 Ferry Lane
Edward Bush, 69 Sowams Road
Kyeonghee Kim, 2 Mallard Cove Way
Kimberly Parker, 20 Albert Ave.
Jamie Jankowski, 381 Nayatt Road
Michelle Strauss, 381 Nayatt Road
Craig Van Ness, 30 Lillis Ave.
Jackie Orent, 11 Vialls Drive
Nancy Braga, 35 Charles St.
Kate Higginbotham, 42 Meadowbrook Drive
Sandy Russel, 28 Columbus Ave.
Corey Russel, 28 Columbus Ave.
Julie Romano, 9 Briarwood Drive
Peter Romano, 9 Briarwood Drive
Vanessa Marskalek, 14 Lamson Road
Jarred Marszalek, 14 Lamson Road
Kristie Feorce, 303 New Meadow Road
Kira Richardson, 61 Whipple Ave.
Cheryl Hosey, 307 New Meadow Road
James Hosey, 307 New Meadow Road
Renzo Arteta, 5 Heritage Road
Cynthia James-Ratcliffe, 1 Grassy Plain Road
Kevin Ratcliffe, 1 Grassy Plain Road
Raven James, 1 Grassy Plain Road
Thomas Grady, 3 Heritage Road
Rosemary Grady, 3 Heritage Road
Joanna Shields, 3 Kenmore Court
Sharon Sylvester, 3 Ronald Road
Sam Sylvester, 3 Ronald Road
George Promades, 332 Sowams Road
Gina Promades, 332 Sowams Road
George C. Promades, 332 Sowams Road
Bethany Aspinwall, 276 Narragansett Ave.
Joan Bergeron, 49 Shore Drive
Stephen Howe, 30 Burr Ave.
Eliza Lawson, 35 Priscilla Drive
Vanessa Sheehan, 35 Adelaide Ave.
Steve Sheehan, 35 Adelaide Ave.
Cindy Larson Moura, 6 Barneyville Road
Ed Moura, 6 Barneyville Road
Tom Rimoshytus, 1 Howard St.
Lauren Murphy, 71 Fales Ave.
Shannon Sassi, 76 Sowams Road
William Smith, 118 County Road
John Marshall, 424 Sowams Road
Holly Marshall, 424 Sowams Road
Danielle Kasvikis, 41 Clarke Road
Michelle Croteau Snow, 2 Sakonnet Drive
Jayne Kassel, 25 Anthony Road
Ritzy McCarthy, 69 Governor Bradford Drive
John McCarthy, 69 Governor Bradford Drive
Audrey McCarthy, 69 Governor Bradford Drive
Cheryl Abrevaya Weinstein, 19 Christine Drive