Time to close Cussewago Elementary
It appears that, based on the number of cars parked outside Cambridge Springs High School tonight, there was a fairly big crowd at the community meeting to discuss the future of Cussewago Elementary School. It's a shame the decision has to come down to money, but an 106-student school in 2007 is no longer economically viable, to borrow a phrase from the guy with the sign outside the bank in the Michael Douglas flick Falling Down. I feel for the families who would be affected by a closure, but the possibility of it always had to be (or should have been) in the back of their minds. It's not as though talk of closing the school hasn't been going on for at least a decade--so long bus rides and bigger class sizes have always potentially been just around the corner. And it seems like we're pretty close to going around that corner.
posted by admin@CambridgeSprings.net at 10:14 PM
3 Comments:
It would be a terrible mistake on their part to close this school. We have recently purchased a home in the area and had done extensive research on Cussewago Elementary prior to purchasing the home (we have an 8 year old and a 6 year old). I am extremely disappointed that they are considering this option. I went to the meeting last night and was extremely impressed with the men and women who spoke on behalf of keeping the school open. These are educated people who did extensive research and had facts to support their efforts- they didn't just stand up and say "Don't close our school". Whether they close the school or not... I am proud to be a member of this community and look forward to raising my children here.
What were the main arguments in support of keeping the school open? Was it mainly an issue of small class sizes and convenience (students not having to travel long distances to go to school), or are there other things at play here?
They said one of the reasons for closing is the small class sizes- because parents are sending Cussewago students to Cambridge Springs for their convenience- not having to find daycare before or after(No other school district just lets you decide what school you want to go to).
The individuals trying to keep the school open said that because of the small class size children get more one on one attention and that over the past 10 years the majority of Cambridge High School students who are excelling (honors students, valedictorian etc. have come from Cussewago Elementary). They also had a lot of suggestions on how to save money and a lot of questions as to where all the money is going. If they close Cussewago they will still need to hire more staff at the other schools to accommodate the extra students. Also, many families are moving into the area who have small children (such as myself) or have moved to the area and are starting families and that 5 years from now will we need to be adding on to these other schools because we closed Cussewago? These are just a few points off the top of my head...they had quite a few good arguements. I understand both sides points. I hope they can keep it open- or at least see what happens over the next few years and make a decision then. Cussewago Elementary was a big selling point for my boyfriend and I when we bought our home last month. We were tired of the big schools and liked the idea of the small school where everyone knows everyone. I'm sure Cambridge is a great school also- either way it will work out, but if I had a choice I would choose Cussewago.
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