THE SAGA OF SURRY VILLAGE SCHOOL
Part
IV: SURRY
DEFENDS ITS SCHOOL & CHILDREN
November 11th, 2005
THE BACKGROUND (for complete saga read Part
I: The Surprise Vote , Part
II: The Town Goes to Court & Children Rally, & Part
III: But Was There A Vote?--The Facts):
Surry, New Hampshire (pop. 673, per 2000 census), saved to build its
little elementary school following World War II, when most NH small towns
had
difficulty finding teachers. The new little school consolidated one-room
schoolhouses into a 2-room Surry Village School. In 1960, to assure
high school space for Surry students, the town joined in to form the Monadnock
Cooperative School District.
All was well for 40+ years until Surry heard that the Monadnock School
Board planned to close their little school. Residents approached the Cooperative
School Board which, in response, voted to guarantee a year's notice should
Surry School ever be closed. Then...weeks later, the school was closed.
No matter that there were no hearings in Surry. No matter that people of
Surry almost unanimously wanted their village school to stay open. No matter
that residents were guaranteed a years notice.
The Surry Village School's doors shut and the new plan has Surry children
bussed an hour in one direction (grades 1-3) and an hour in the other direction
(grades K and 4-6). School Board leaders defended the decision saying
it was well thought out and in the best interest of Surry children. But
parents and residents were so outraged that 200 signed a court petition.
The Cooperative District School Board has not reconsidered. As of November
2005, Surry Village School sits empty while a small revolution is brewing
over local control of education for Surry's children.
The Saga Continues,
Part IV: Surry Defends its School & Children
November 2005: Two Surry groups have formed--a group
organizing a charter school so Surry children can come back home to school
and a group just
plain fed up with
the School Board's disregard for Surry and initiating withdrawal from the
Monadnock Cooperative School District. That a group outside Surry can fully
disregard the desires of a town for its own children, challenges our understanding
of local control.
A special Surry town meeting was held 10/27/05. Voters overwhelmingly
decided they wanted Surry School
re-opened. The town is determined to
step in and safeguard the education of their children. A group has formed--the
SEEC (Surry Education Evaluation Committee)--to study and evaluate withdrawal
options. One resident wrote:
"Surry is not an attractive community for families
with our local school closed. And our student numbers are dwindling,
due to
families moving from Town. Busing children for long rides to other towns is a
hardship for the children, as well as parents who
have to drive those distances for accessing their children for appointments and
school activities. Being asked year after year, to
provide tax dollars without adequate voting power for our School Board Rep is
distasteful! ('Taxation without Representation' -- I
believe we fought a war about that same policy in 1775!) A town as wonderful
as Surry needs the elementary school as center where the community lives and
grows."
A second group in Surry is designing a charter school proposal for grades
K-5 or K-8. Meanwhile, one official estimates that with the Surry School
sitting vacant and the children bussed to other towns an hour away, the
Monadnock School Board saved less than $10,000. If true, the $10,000 saved
could have been raised by every Surry resdient pitching in less than $17.00.
The School Board's refusal to work with Surry residents or provide the
promised year's notice has created such a strong reaction that this "cooperative"
school district may pull apart (uncooperatively).
One wonders if re-opening Surry School has been considered, now that the
Board can see the strength of feeling of this entire town about its school
being closed.
How will this saga end? The Surry Village School sits vacant in Surry
while children are bussed hither and yon. Will the out-of-town Board
turn over the keys to Surry's School? Will the larger cooperative district
reconsider? Will little Surry children have another rally and scream "Honk
if You Want to Save Our Surry School!?" Will other small districts
be inspired to reclaim decision-making for educating their town's children?
Will townspeople
of Surry reclaim the school they literally built with their own hands for
town children?
We shall see. We welcome your comments
The Saga of The Surry Village School, Part I: The Surprise
Vote
The Saga of The Surry Village School, Part
II: The Town Goes to Court & Children
Rally
The Saga of the Surry Village School, Part III: But Was There A Vote?--The
Facts
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