Public is owed a careful, thorough decision

To the editor,

Did you know that the neighborhood schools are being closed?

Scarborough’s board of education has been working on a plan since before 2018 to address problems of overcrowding and aging facilities at our elementary schools. The board voted 5-2 in January 2020 to consolidate our neighborhood elementary schools into one large school, abandoning the model the town has used successfully for over a century.

They are moving full speed ahead planning this project to build a giant consolidated school, with over 1,100 students (larger than the high school), for kindergarten through grade 3. They are searching for a central location, possibly in The Downs.

The project will have a long-lasting impact not only on the education of our youngest learners but on our town’s finances for many years to come. The cost is estimated to be well above $100 million, by far the largest the town has ever undertaken. This would more than double the town’s indebtedness.

This is such an important decision for our town, all options must be thoroughly reviewed and considered. Many of us in Scarborough believe that the decision to abandon the neighborhood schools needs to be reconsidered. Since the project began, the world has changed: COVID-19; remote learning; turnover of three superintendents; and a brand-new board of education elected in November.

Everyone agrees that we must provide a high-quality education for our students. But we owe the entire public a careful decision – which is thorough and considers all possible solutions and options.

Susan Hamill

Scarborough