Vote Saves Two Local Schools, Delays Closures

Responding to six months of tears, protests and threats from parents and teachers, the Cambridge School Committee last night saved two elementary schools from shutting down and decided to start from scratch on a new plan for school closures.

Committee members rejected a measure that would have closed the Fitzgerald and Harrington Schools next year but endorsed the idea of closing two elementary programs in 2004.

They also promised to seek broad parental input in choosing which two schools will ultimately be marked for closure and agreed to meet in the coming weeks to decide on how that process will work. They pledged to vote on a final consolidation plan in June.

Superintendent of Schools Bobbie J. D’Alessandro, whose contract will lapse after this summer, had urged the committee last night to ratify her recommendation, which would address the district’s growing problem of half-used classrooms.

“The problem is that we don’t have enough students to fill our seats,” she said. “The vote must be tonight.”

Committee member Alice L. Turkel proposed a compromise measure to close just the Harrington School, saying inaction on the merger question would threaten the district’s credibility.

“It’s a way to do further damage to the school system,” she said. “What I see happening is that Cambridge will descend even further into the turf wars that have surrounded us. I see teachers and parents paralyzed by another year of meetings.”

But after her plan failed, Turkel ultimately joined the 6-1 vote in favor of postponing closures for another year.

Public testimony stretched for three hours at last night’s packed meeting. Parents and teachers blasted the superintendent’s proposal as a stop-gap measure that would threaten low-performing students in neighborhood schools.

The proposal amounted to an “ill-conceived budget-driven band-aid,” said Fitzgerald parent Sylvia Seniper.

Six of Cambridge’s nine city councillors came to testify at the meeting. Though the council mandated this fall that the school committee close or merge schools to save money, most of the councillors criticized the plan and urged the committee to hold off on implementation.

“Give us a process that has a timeline,” said councillor Anthony D. Galluccio. “Let’s reflect back on what has taken place. Step back and make a good decision.”

D’Alessandro had offered the plan as the latest in a series of proposals to merge or close several of the city’s 15 elementary schools in order to close a $2.6 budget deficit.

In addition to closing the Fitz and Harrington, it would have moved the Graham and Parks and King Open Schools into the empty buildings.

Several committee members said they were surprised by the councillors’ criticisms, and D’Alessandro said their objections went against earlier city council mandates.

“It puts us in a very significant situation with the budget,” D’Alessandro said. “I was disappointed in the city council.”

The battle over elementary school consolidation has taken months. But the latest plan was offered just two weeks ago, and parents sharply criticized the way it had been drawn up, saying they had been left out of the discussion.

“For the last year you have squandered our energy,” said Graham and Parks parent Guy Stuart. “You didn’t ask me to get involved. When people are behind the plan, the plan works, so listen to the parents.”

Parent criticism reached high fervor last night. As Turkel offered her 11th-hour plan, Harrington parent Karen M. Thomas began shouting vehemently and stormed out of the room.

“Excuse me, but nobody needs to take my kid,” she yelled.

Later, Turkel said, “I know this is unpopular, but it’s the responsible thing to do.”

She said postponing the school closure issue would only prolong a process she called “extremely damaging to parents.”

Committee member Nancy Walser cast the lone dissenting vote against postponement.

Even the committee members who supported putting off closures acknowledged that the decision was not a victory.

“I don’t see tonight as a win,” said Mayor Michael A. Sullivan, who chairs the committee.

Though some parents said they appreciate having an extra six months, many said they worry the committee will never reach a solution.

“If they honor it, it’s a good vote,” said Graham and Parks parent Andrew E. Farrar. “It was a way out for tonight and could be a way out in May and in June.”

—Staff writer Claire A. Pasternack can be reached at cpastern@fas.harvard.edu.