Merrimack Valley School Board will form a committee to assess potential elementary school closures in its five‑town district. The move follows a new state law that lets a petition with 20 signatures trigger a district‑wide vote on school shutdowns.
The committee, which will include one board member from each town, administrators, staff, community members and parents, will examine the two smallest elementary schools, Webster (86 students) and Salisbury (63 students), as identified by Oct. 1 enrollment figures. These schools represent the lowest enrollment in the district and are the focal point of the consolidation discussion.
Board member Jessica Wheeler Russell warned that the new law could unfairly disrupt students, while community members Marcia Murphy and Bill Heinz urged the board to act quickly and incorporate diverse resident perspectives. Superintendent Catherine Masterson presented two consolidation scenarios — reassigning grade levels with minimal construction or merging the schools into a single building that would require new construction and cost study — emphasizing that no closure is being recommended.
The board has not scheduled a committee meeting yet and will share involvement information through ParentSquare, while the committee will review the district’s articles of agreement to align with the new voting procedure. Previous attempts to consolidate the schools in 2021 and 2011 were halted by resident opposition.
Source: www.concordmonitor.com
