Administration and school committee hear residents on Elmhurst decision.

There were more than 130 residents at the Portsmouth middle school tonight to hear the school committee decide the fate of the Elmhurst elementary, and although the vast majority of community members expressed concerns, with many pleading for more time, in the end the vote was 4-3 to close the school at the end of the year.

Republican Mike Buddemeyer, the chair of the finance subcommittee which had made the recommendation, was joined by Chair Dick Carpender, Sylvia Wedge, and Marge Levesque (all Democrats) in the majority, with the "no" votes coming from Democrats Marilyn King and Angela Volpicelli and independent Cynthia Perrotti.

For Buddemeyer, the financial picture was a major driver. "We're looking at some scary budget numbers, including projected deficits in coming years of over one million dollars. We need to make attempts to rectify that in the budget in the face of declining state aid."

But that didn't mean it was an easy decision, "I have heard a lot of deep concerns," said Carpender. "But there is not one that I don't think that we can't put a team together to resolve." Levesque admitted that she had initially not been in favor of the idea, but had come to understand and accept the need. "I think [Supt.] Lusi got tired of my questions."

And even some of those who voted in the end not to close the building expressed support for the decision. "It is time Elmhurst closes," said King in her opening remarks. "It's not the building that educates, it's the teachers and parents." Volpicelli agreed that it was "not the building," and added, "I feel closing Elmhurst is in line with the long-term facilities plan."

The most vocal opponent on the committee was appointed member Cynthia Perrotti, who announced that she was "still stunned at the process" and she described the approach as "myopic," before appearing to choke up as she pleaded with Supt. Lusi to "focus on neighborhood schools."

It was an emotional night for many of the parents in the audience, and while many acknowledged the issues identified in the facilities analysis, and even the need to close the building eventually, there was a common thread of seeking more time.

"The process could have been better if we'd known in October," said Chris Bicho. "This late in April, it didn't feel fair." Parent Elizabeth Harris noted that some kids, especially current second graders, would be subjected to multiple moves. "Research says that two consecutive transitions are not good," she said.

For many, the issue was especially the impact on younger children. Parent Laura Ramroth lamented that the move would be "Denying 9-year-olds the opportunity to be the 'big kids,'" adding that it "saddened her deeply." Hathaway parent Stephanie Federico said that the savings to the district were not worth "the expense of stripping the kids of their childhoods."

There were several requests for delay until more information about bus routes and districting plans could be drawn up, but both Lusi and finance director Mark Dunham noted that these depended on the progress of a bus contract which was still in flux, with Dunham unable to promise that accurate information would be available until possibly mid-May, past the cutoff the committee had identified for an orderly transition.

There was no question about the deep, sincere concern that all these parents have, both for their kids, and also for the Portsmouth schools. It was a sad night, and it's especially sad because this has become the time of year that we sit through these grim nights, whether it's cutting a school nurse, or closing the Prudence Island school, or making tough decisions about programs.

In that regard, I feel obligated to comment on one speaker's remarks. Larry Fitzmorris, president of the Portsmouth Concerned Citizens (PCC), put it to the committee that this was driven by a budget deficit of their making. "You have a $580K deficit because you adopted one," he said. "Not because somebody from Mars gave you a gap."

No, it wasn't somebody from Mars. For those who need a refresher, the PCC, at the tent meeting of 2006, cut $1.1M from the budget (half of which was restored by a Caruolo action) creating a $500K structural gap in the school budget which has only been exacerbated by the decreasing S3050 cap on the tax levy. To put it politely, I find it disingenuous in the extreme for Fitzmorris to attack the school committee on this issue.

Full disclosure: I am an appointed member of the facilities committee. And, yes, I stood up at the meeting to suggest that by bringing the 4th and 5th grades together, opportunities for differentiated instruction would be increased, and that this would have educational benefits. Also that my 10-year-old was actually looking forward to the transition, which is true. No question, there is going to be some pain. No question, this would not be anybody's choice in a world where we had adequate resources. But I genuinely believe that if we can work together, with the kids, parents, teachers, and administration, good things can come out of this, hard as that may be to envision right now.

Correction: Fixed date of tent meeting. Writing this at midnight last night, I typed "1996" instead of "2006."