To the Editor:
What happens when a community loses its school? What happens to children’s sense of place, of belonging, of safety, of identity? When I worked at the after-school program at Agnes Gray School, we often hiked up a small promontory above the school called Berry’s Ledge.
On one such hike, when we were at the top overlooking the town of West Paris, a second grader said to me, “I never knew I lived in such a beautiful little town.”
When will West Paris children be able to hike up Berry’s Ledge if they are bussed to Paris Elementary or Guy E. Rowe School? During COVID, outdoor education became an essential part of the curriculum for Agnes Gray students. What will happen to this initiative, and all the ways this school was “our school”?
With the sudden closure of Agnes Gray School, was there any consideration of the emotional toll on children whose friends are now scattered, who lost teachers, support staff, and the familiar patterns and rhythms that are well-established at this point in the school year?
Every school has its particular culture, which reflects the town where it’s located. Over and over again, parents and residents throughout MSAD 17 have made it clear: they want each town to keep its elementary school. The closing of Agnes Gray School brings the issue of consolidating elementary schools back into the public eye.
With school building funds now available from the state, the School Board’s priority is to build a 6-8 Middle School. Some elementary schools will not have enough students without sixth graders and could be closed.
Residents of every town in the district need to understand they could lose their elementary schools. Stay tuned to local media coverage. Attend public forums. Let your voice be heard.
Ellen Gibson
West Paris
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