Let’s Reconsider
Closing Schools

Sometimes it takes a shock to the system to get folks to step back and take a second look.

In the case of the Hancock and Granville schools, the results of a second look may satisfy everyone—lower taxes and a continuation of the Village School and local control of the way we spend our education funds.

At the Granville and Hancock Town Meetings last month, the towns voted down the proposed school budgets and approved budgets that were not adequate to support the continuation of the village school. This has prompted a substantial number of people to come forward and express their desire to keep the joint Granville-Hancock village school open.

Some of the issues that have been expressed in favor of keeping the school open include the high quality of education, the ability of the towns to keep local control of education spending, the ability to educate the children of our community in our community, and the dedication and talent of our teachers and administrators.

If the village school is to close, the result will be the tuitioning out of our children to surrounding communities where we will not have a say in education spending. In addition, we will continue to be saddled with the issues of keeping small schools open in the face of declining enrollment and rising costs. The issues facing the village school are the same issues facing Rochester, Warren, Ripton, and others.

Rising education costs will follow us whether we keep the village school open or not. However, keeping the village school open will keep taxpayers from our towns on the school boards, voting for our budgets. It is our money and we are the most motivated to spend it efficiently.

The votes at Town Meeting have motivated local taxpayers to take a hard look at each town's education budgets. The results of these efforts have produced a budget that allows the village school to remain in our community while costing less in total taxes paid out.

A re-vote of the school budget for both Granville and Hancock is scheduled for May 16 at 6:30 p.m. in each town. It is an opportunity for the towns to continue to educate their children locally and at a cost lower than other options available to us at this time.

School boards from both towns will be holding informational meetings open to the public on Monday, April 23 at 6 p.m. in Granville and May 8 at 6 p.m. in Hancock. Come and learn how we can provide a great education for our kids in the most affordable way possible.

Dan Perera

Hancock