First, thank you to our teachers! I speak for many parents when I say we see you, we hear you, we value you, we respect you, and (as ignored stakeholders ourselves) we will fight for you to have YOUR critical voice at the table!  

For the past couple of years, it has been a rare week in which negative school leadership headlines have not dominated Barrington news and social media. 

At the recent school committee meeting, more issues of concern were raised. Some of those concerns related to space needs at Primrose and the expansion of non-mandatory pre-k programs, as well as building plans to eliminate neighborhood schools.  

Overcrowding has been used as one rationale for building new schools. However, K-12 enrollment in the schools is lower than it was 10 years ago.  Additionally, while enrollment was projected in 2020 to increase by 6 percent over 10 years, thus far it has remained flat, falling woefully short of projections. The one area of expansion has been pre-k classes at Primrose. As a result of this optional pre-k expansion a third grade class is currently being held in the cafeteria.  

Last year, Primrose K-3 students lost their music/art room, again to optional pre-k expansion. While the district is required to fund early intervention services for qualified students, it is not required to provide those services through the public school, certainly not at the cost of lost classroom and art/music space for K-3 grades!  

This decision to trade mandated K-3 education space for expanded public pre-k has happened absent of any stakeholder participation. Without any reasonable explanation, one is left to wonder if the motive for this expansion is create the optics of overcrowding?

In addition, building plan 2B assumes that universal pre-k will pass in Rhode Island, converting Nayatt from an elementary school into a universal pre-k hub. This is putting the cart before the horse and reckless use of taxpayer money!  

It is clear now that Build Back Better will not include federal funding to support universal pre-k. While a bill to mandate universal pre-k by 2028 has been proposed in RI, it has not yet passed---but Barrington taxpayers are being pushed to build and expand pre-k as if it is already enacted law!  Additionally, if universal pre-k were to pass, the bill incorporates mixed-modality delivery (allowing for high-quality private pre-k, just as it does now for early intervention), and Barrington would be better prepared to adapt to the change than any other community in RI.

Let me be clear. As a Democrat, I support universal pre-k and most of us agree that investment in our facilities is needed. However, I question the basic foundation and the process that has led to the decision to expand pre-k in Barrington at the cost of K-3 students and the universal pre-k assumptions driving the elimination of 2 neighborhood elementary schools based on the current status of this proposed bill.    

With regards to our schools, if you want more of the same, I think the choice is clear in supporting those endorsed by Ms. Bae and Dr. Douglas.  

If you want change and wish to restore confidence in our schools, independents TJ Peck and Frazier Bell have listened and stepped up, acknowledging where we are and the need for partnership to lead this community to higher ground.

Shelli Edgar

Barrington