BRISTOL — In an abrupt change from its previous position, the Newfound Area School Board has decided that engaging with the towns considering withdrawal from the school district is in the best interest of students.
“I think that the general direction is that we want to work cooperatively with them … in case it does happen in March,” said Vice-Chair Kimberly Bliss of Alexandria who serves on a subcommittee that has met with the Bridgewater-Hebron-Groton Steering Committee. “We want to make sure when it’s all said and done that the best interests of the children are our number one priority.”
At its previous meeting, the school board said it agrees in principle with the idea of “tailing out” — ensuring that students currently enrolled in Newfound schools are able to complete their educations there — but it did not hold a formal vote to support a memorandum of understanding because of the uncertainties of what that would cost, and because some members felt working with the steering committee would aid the withdrawal effort.
On November 13, the school board still did not take a formal vote, but appeared to reach a consensus that taking a practical, rather than an emotional, approach would better serve the students and the communities affected. Its previous intransigence has served to strengthen support for withdrawal among the three towns.
The board did not rescind its earlier vote to deny administrative services to the new school district if the measure passes.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to By The Way to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.