Decision should reflect best interest of school
To the Editor,

I recently visited the law library and found several interesting facts pertaining to the closing of the Valley School. Although the school board can legally close the Valley without a vote, there are procedures they have to follow and things we can do to make sure the school's best interest is considered in this decision.

The Education Law recommends an advisory committee on school building utilization be set up. They should be given at least 6 months to investigate the educational impact of the closing. They should investigate several things including enrollment, effects of the closing, age and physical condition of the building, planned improvements, utilization of space, potential disposability of the building, and the ability of the other buildings to accommodate students. I have not seen any such committee. I would be first in line to help investigate these things because I believe once all the facts are collected, it would prove the best course of action would be to keep the Valley open.

If the board decides to close the Valley and we don't feel it's in the best interest of the school, we can appeal to the Commissioner of Education. We would have 30 days after the boards decision to present our case to the Commissioner. He would then investigate the closing to see if the board's findings are actually factual.

I realize that waiting for a decision is hard. I plan to continue writing letters to the board voicing my findings and opinions. Mr. McBride was not being honest when he said the voters don't have a choice. There are always things that can be done to stop elected officials from making decisions that are not based on the behalf of the school.

Christina Davis

Cameron