Needs, Conflict and Opportunity: The Vote on Sudbury's Country School
Jay Merluzzi (Sudbury)
In addressing the town meeting in Sudbury on the fate of Sudbury's Country school, I would like to suggest that the vote should center on "needs" only. In times of conflict and tension around a decision, if the underlying needs of all parties are addressed, the issue can be adequately resolved. In times of conflict, if the underlying needs are not addressed, it is inevitable that the tension leads to anger. Anger is not a way to take a position and ultimately a town vote. In priority, here are the needs:
1. Students: Students need a comfortable, excellent academic atmosphere and need an adequate number of students in their school for socialization and learning. These needs are not met with the present student enrollment. This, I believe, may also be true for a school very close by, The Whiting Elementary school.
2. Parents: Parents need to know that their children are receiving a good education and that their children are well prepared to enter a larger school which is inevitable (e.g. Otter Valley) with the adequate social skills and exposure to activities (e.g. sports etc).
3. Taxpayers: The citizens of Sudbury should know what the liability is for their pocketbooks. In addition, the citizens should weigh whether not having an elementary school in their town is the best alternative in the long run. A small town like Sudbury simply has homes and a school. A school in a small town, more often than not, is a plus to property values and in the future (albeit not in this recession) a plus to homeowners.
These are the needs. How can we address them with a solution that meets all? I suggest re-visiting the merging of Sudbury's and Whiting's elementary schools with a sharing of both buildings. While this has been voted on in the past, the votes were based largely on emotions and not on needs. The schools are very close to each other and this option addresses all the needs but leaves out emotions and self-serving agendas. While tuitioning out students may address the student's needs and some parent's wishes, it does not address all the needs. And, tuitioning out students may save some money immediately but seems to be a "wash" in the long run.
If one can leave behind the world views, emotions and personal agendas, the merging of the Whiting and Sudbury schools makes the most sense for students, parents and taxpayers.
