School Regionalization Talks Reach The Front Burner

by William F. Galvin

            HARWICH – For more than a half century, Chatham and Harwich have examined the opportunities of regionalizing school districts, but have not come to the mutual conclusions that the bond will yield benefits that outweigh the educational advantages of individual systems.

            School Building Needs Committee Chairman Allin Thompson said the first conversation was held in 1954 and through the mid-1990s, four such discussions have taken place. As Thompson’s committee looks to the needs for facilities at Harwich High School, they have been instructed by selectmen to look at the benefits of regionalization.

            The committee met last Thursday evening with 75 residents to provide a progress report on school building needs and the status of regionalization discussions. An initial overture from Dennis and Yarmouth has been put on hold while Harwich looks to Chatham to once again explore possibilities. A meeting has been set for April 28 between town and school administrators (read Chatham’s response to Harwich’s invitation on page 3).

            During Thursday’s meeting, members of the committee and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Carolyn Cragin cited conditions in the 46-year-old high school as not being  conducive to 21^st century education.

That position was confirmed by a New England Association of Schools and Colleges evaluation last summer which placed the school in a “warning” category based on deficiencies in facilities and facilities-related curriculum. At about the same time, the Massachusetts School Building Authority classified the high school as category four, “in need of substantial work.”

Among conditions cited in need of correction are poor air ventilation, inconsistent heating, water leaks and removal/prevention of recurring mold/rodent infestation, Cragin reported. NEASC is scheduled in the fall to update its findings, which the superintendent said has implications on the acceptance by colleges of Harwich diplomas.

Cragin said they are looking at what can be done with the present structure, but added while the maintenance staff is doing extraordinary work to keep the building going, a shortage of funds make it difficult.

“This was a cool place before special education, technology and learning standards for all to achieve at a high school level,” Cragin said.

Only 3 percent of the school buildings in the commonwealth have received a category four rating from MSBA.  But the Harwich project was left off the funding list.  Instead, the project was placed in a regional assessment category.

Cragin also said she was surprised to learn from a legislator a few weeks ago that smaller schools, in the 400-pupil range, such as Harwich, would not be a likely candidate for MSBA funds. On the other hand, the financial benefits from regionalization relate exclusively to transportation costs. School officials agreed that is not a great incentive.

Harwich Taxpayers Association President Geoffrey Wiegman said he understands the economics may not be significantly different, but he added the four surrounding towns are experiencing decreased enrollment. He said bringing student numbers together will help offset costs and allow more course offerings.

“A smaller learning community is a significant strength,” the superintendent responded.

Though she agreed combining of 400 Harwich and 200 Chatham high school students is worth examining. The Harwich K-12 population is 1,300 and Chatham’s is 700 students. There was discussion about looking at combining whole districts or simply at the high school level. One suggestion was to use the Chatham school for a middle school and building a new high school in Harwich.

SBNC member Jack Brown said the committee’s report will be focused on “what is right for the kids.”

“I’m a strong believer in community schools,” Harwich High School history teacher Richard Houston said. “I came here because the schools were the center of the community.”

“One of the reasons I came here is it’s a small community with a heart [that] cares about its kids,” Cragin added.

The superintendent said Harwich might consider combining grades seven through 12, increasing a new school population to qualify for MSBA funds. She said there could be a shared campus with earlier grades on one side and high school classes on the other.

Thompson said they have heard from Nauset recently about the potential for a merger, but he thought Chatham would be a much better partner for Harwich. It was pointed out the Chatham school is 7.5 miles and 17 minutes away, while Nauset High School is 16.2 miles and 28 minutes away.

Bruce Nightingale asked if any consideration was given to a Brewster/Harwich merger. Thompson said Brewster provides 60 percent of the Nauset enrollment. Cragin also said it takes considerable time to pull out of a regional arrangement.  

“This is a first courtship,” Selectman Ed McManus said. “You have to see if you can trust each other. Watching Dennis and Yarmouth, I’m not so sure I want to be in their company.”

Harwich High School Principal Kevin Turner said a recent survey of students showed more than 90 percent would not want to regionalize with Dennis-Yarmouth High School.

SBNC member Terry Russell reminded those present the goal is to build “a living room for the town where our kids live and grow.” He said if this is to work out with Chatham, it will take time.

“So we have our first date in a couple of weeks. We’ll talk to the neighbors and enlarge the interest,” Russell said.

It is an exciting and fascinating challenge to design a school, curriculum and technology to educate students into the 2050s, said Brown, adding it is much harder for  students in a building designed for the 1960s.

But Wiegman said younger people are moving off Cape.  The school population will continue to decline and the cost per student will increase. He called the concept of building a new school in Harwich “far-fetched.” The $30 million price tag is low and should be in the $50 million range.  The retired community is not going to pay for that, he said.

“We’re being pushed into regionalization by economics,” Wiegman said. “There is no reason why Harwich High School has to be in Harwich.”

He cited the Eddy School, an underutilized elementary school in Brewster, as a possible location, but added Chatham may be the best option.

“You want us to wash our hands of our kids and ship them off somewhere else,” one parent shot back.

“As long as I’ve been here it’s been a retirement community,” School Committee member Mark Russell said. “We’ve enjoyed significant support from members of the community who haven’t had kids in the school community. I expect we also will have that support in the future.”

SBNC member Mary Clarke said a community takes pride in a K-12 system where it can watch students excel. She said the community is giving up too much when the students go to another town. 

“I hope Harwich fights for our children, it’s very important,” Clarke said.

School Committee Chairman Tom Blute said the issue is like “building your own home, you’re not sure how you’ll pay for it, but you know you want your own home.” Blute said it is important to give children the best education possible, adding the retired generation will do what it can to make that happen.

There was only one Chatham resident in the room on that evening. Phyllis Tileston said when he husband Whitney started teaching music in local schools it was a bit like regionalization in that he supervised music programs in Chatham, Harwich, Orleans and Eastham. She said for years there was talk of regionalization, adding if it’s best for the children they should move forward.

“It’s our children who suffer,” Tileston said. “We have to get our prejudices out of the way. We have to grow up like our children did.”

A letter to Harwich officials from Chatham officials expressed interest in discussing regionalization. “At such a meeting we would initially be interested in hearing your prospective of how such a regionalized approach to service provision could enhance the educational opportunities of Chatham students,” the letter setting up the April 28 meeting stated.

4/10/08