Swampscott meeting set for Friday to discuss possible school closures

SWAMPSCOTT-To allow parents an opportunity to have input on the possible closing of an elementary school and the budget crisis facing the district, the School Committee has scheduled a meeting for this Friday at 9 a.m.School Committee Chairman David Whelan said parent involvement is critical, but some parents find it difficult to attend evening School Committee meetings.?I think having some School Committee meetings during the day could help improve attendance and increase parental involvement,” he said. “I have heard from some parents with young kids who have a hard time getting out at night due to responsibilities with young kids. They just can’t get out for an hour or two at night. We should attempt to have a few School Committee meetings during the day, preferably before school gets out, to accommodate the desire some of these parents have to get their voices heard.”Whelan is the only current member of the School Committee who was on the board when the district closed Machon Elementary School in June 2007. Whelan said he is all too familiar with the process of closing a school and the tension it causes in the community.?When it comes to things like budget issues and school closing, we have a responsibility to let parents know,” he said. “We need to involve them in the process. We have a responsibility to let people know ahead of time and allow them an opportunity to have their opinions heard.”If it becomes necessary to close a school, Whelan admits people will be angry and the School Committee would take a lot of heat, but he believes communication goes a long way towards easing tension and building a sense of community.?When you close a school, people are going to be mad n there’s no question about that,” he said. “Communication, respect and a willingness to listen might be all we have and in the long run it could make next spring a bit easier.”Whelan pointed out the district faces the very real possibility of closing Hadley Elementary School at the end of the academic year and it is looking at the possibility of having to slash its budget by more than $200,000.?We need to let the community know what we are up against,” he said. “Taking the offensive is my way of showing the community that we are willing to listen and listening surely never hurts.”Whelan said it could be difficult to get a quorum of School Committee members to attend a meeting during the day due to scheduling conflicts, so he envisions more of a question and answer-type session.The School Committee has scheduled a meeting for Friday, Oct. 17 at 9 a.m. in the Swampscott High School auditorium.