Letter to the Editor: December 7 Waterville school meeting

To the Editor:

I attended the December 7 school board meeting held at the Waterville school library  and must share a few comments and observations.  The meeting was well attended. It was much more information based than previous and presented facts needed in this critical decision. And I personally want to commend Mrs. Nordheim for her candor and professional approach to the evening.

I left with more concerns. We were advised there are no short-term or long-range plans to guide the school board in determining the future of the school district and, specifically, the Waterville building. We learned the water is fine. We learned there are no capital repairs that must be completed in the near future. What we did not learn is what is so pressing.

After nearly two hours of exchange I asked for the following consideration; can the school board allow a year of meetings to determine whether costs can be impacted? Can we have a year of regular meetings to analyze all the issues, spend time informing the community, and if the decision is ultimately made to close the school, allow the families with children attending here and the community of Waterville time to prepare for the impact. Given the lack of urgency, this seems a reasonable request. School board, what do you say?

E. Clark White
Waterville