Westbrook’s new superintendent is already demonstrating how he differs from his predecessor. As Reza Namin begins the process of developing a strategic plan for the district, he says closing schools is not how he expects to save money.
School officials revealed at a joint workshop between the School Committee and the City Council in February a study was underway looking into the potential cost savings of closing two of the city’s four elementary schools.
In an interview last month, just before retiring as superintendent, Stan Sawyer said he believed schools would close in the coming years.
“I do think the writing’s on the wall,” he said.
Namin, however, said not only is that discussion premature, but he’s opposed to the idea of closing schools in general, and believes if money needs to be saved, there are better ways to do it.
“There are a lot more strategies to deliver effective programming,” Namin said. “That’s not a solution to me.”
The study is being done by Harriman Associates, the architectural and engineering firm that has led the construction of Westbrook’s nearly-completed middle school, at no cost.
According to Mike Kucsma, business manager for the school department, the study will collect information about the condition of all school buildings, their operating costs and their fuel usage. Kucsma said a report is supposed to be ready in the fall.
The two schools that could be closed, Prides Corner and Saccarappa, are both K-2 elementary schools with buildings in need of renovation.
Prides Corner is in more dire need of repair, Kucsma said, with heating and ventilation systems that are old and would need to be upgraded.
Sawyer said he expects the study to show that the department will save the most money by closing the two K-2 schools and making additions onto Canal and Congin schools, which currently house grades 3-5. Canal and Congin would then serve grades K-4, and the fifth grade could move into the new middle school.
“If we can close buildings and save hundreds of thousands of dollars,” Sawyer said, “that’s going to be redirected into resources for the students.”
Sawyer did say he’s glad he won’t be in charge of the schools when that decision needs to be made, because of how controversial and emotional school closings can be for a community.
But because of what each school means to so many people, Namin said, closing them isn’t something he’d like to see happen.
“A school is more than a physical building,” he said. “It’s a culture, a climate. It’s the students, the neighborhood.”
Namin realizes some things will likely have to change in order for the department to make ends meet in the next couple of years, when funding from the state is expected to drop. However, the specific changes are still a few steps away in the process Namin plans to go through in developing a plan for the future of the district.
First Namin said, he wants to get members of all areas of the community together and hold meetings to identify their priorities for the schools. With that information, together, they’ll be able to formulate a shared vision for the district for the next three years.
“Once we identify those priorities and objectives, it’s an open conversation,” Namin said about figuring out how the community’s goals can be reached.
In his mind, closing a school building doesn’t align with any specific priority that may be identified for making the schools better.
“It’s about students, not about buildings,” he said.
If a priority is to reduce spending, he said, consolidating buildings or transportation routes isn’t where he wants to look first for savings.
“It’s about effective programming with a fiscally sound strategy,” he said.
School Committee member Colleen Hilton agreed that it’s too early to be talking about closing schools. However, she said, she doesn’t think it’s out of the cards.
Hilton said the school department first needs to ask the community what it wants to have happen in the next few years.
“We really need to plot out a plan,” she said. “With shrinking enrollment, it might mean a reconfiguration of schools.”
Kucsma also said he thinks closing some schools and adding onto others is “a viable option.” He said the purpose of the study by Harriman is to show the community what its options are and allow them to fully vet the issue based on the findings in the report.
“It’s going to give people a document to have an educated conversation around,” he said.
But, in the end, Sawyer said, he believes the report will show there would be such tremendous savings by consolidating buildings that the community won’t be able to pass it up.
“I think people are going to come to the conclusion that we could close some elementary schools,” Sawyer said.
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