To the editor:

Study after study, accessible through the Small Schools Coalition’s Research Library, reveals what we in Barrington already know: Smaller, more intimate neighborhood schools work best. 

This has been the cornerstone of Barrington’s elementary model for decades, and we as a community enjoy phenomenal schools as a result. These schools are beloved by children and parents and have become fixtures in their neighborhoods, compelling people from all over the region and world to move here to share their lives with us. 

Every morning from September to June, there’s something precious about seeing nearly a hundred parents walking their children to and from school. It’s the social glue of the entire Sowams neighborhood.

In Sept. 2021, the Barrington School Building Committee wrote to Mario Carreiro, the director of the RIDE School Building Authority, that the town of Barrington and BPS was pleased to submit a Stage 1 Application for the Necessity of School Construction.

This is a lie. 

There was minimal community engagement. This was repeated only a few weeks ago. After a brief presentation by the chosen architecture firm, the building committee discussed the options and quickly selected Option 2B, to demolish Sowams School, consolidate pre-K and kindergarten at Nayatt, construct two large elementary schools for grades 1-5 at Primrose Hill and Hampden Meadows, and build a new high school. Cost to taxpayers? Roughly $100 million to start, the single most significant expenditure in town history. True to form, the vote was taken before community comment. Decisions first, debate later.

The school and building school committees have a lot to answer for. They invite public comment only after decisions are made. They publish meeting schedules at varied times only at the last possible moment. They knowingly release misleading surveys.

As there has been little meaningful community engagement, we are calling for the town council to delay the vote to approve Option 2B. We are within reach of the November elections, where a new committee will be seated. We are on the edge of a potential economic recession, where a tax increase to pay for this project may price long-time residents out of town and prevent young families from moving in. We are still recovering from the negative educational impact of distance learning caused by the pandemic. And against decided educational science, the building committee is moving in the wrong direction, away from the tried-and-true neighborhood schools that make us so great toward economies of scale, larger schools that have proven more detrimental to academic success.

Take a step back. 

Reevaluate. 

Listen. 

Our elected town officials often say a development project is not right for Barrington. Option 2B is one such project. Pushing it through despite constant negative feedback is wrong. We call on you to reject any plan that shutters Sowams School or any other neighborhood school. 

A copy of this letter and all signatories can be found at https://www.savesowamsschool.com/post/letter

Signed,

Robert Swarts, 421 Sowams Road

Deqiang Zhang, 421 Sowams Road

Debra C Nyser, 30 Adelaide Ave.

Dawn Bucci, Fireside Drive

Anthony Bucci, Fireside Drive

Richard Guerra, 15 Bullock Ave.

Michelle Ristuccia, 47 Meadowbrook Drive

Skip Mattos, 47 Meadowbrook Drive

Paul Dulchinos, Sr., 20 Walnut Road

Lorena Kala, 5 Heritage Road

Maria Vassilieva, 11 Anthony Road

Susannah Holloway, 64 Fales Ave.

Lisa Treat, 23 Bradford St.

Macken Dolan, 23 Bradford St.

Kerri-Anne Mallet, 5 Westwood Lane

Andi O’Hearn, 9 Blanding Ave.

Pamela Judge, 242 Sowams Road

Molly Magnuson, 17 Burr Ave.

Bill Magnuson, 17 Burr Ave.

Nick Angert, 4 Copper Kettle Lane

Melissa Angert, 4 Copper Kettle Lane

Lisa Daft, 5 Robbins Drive

Scott Fuller, 23 Belvedere Ave.

Pamela Fuller, 23 Belvedere Ave.

Kathleen Mancini, 2 Gregory Court

Jamie Triebwasser, 139 Nayatt Road

Andrew Triebwasser, 139 Nayatt Road

Karen Montecalvo, 7 Bullock Ave.

Keith Montecalvo, 7 Bullock Ave.

Gary Hychko, 6 Cold Spring Road

Heather Ryan, 99 Roffee St.

Jarrod Ryan, 99 Roffee St.

Christina Bortz, Sowams Road

Patricia MacGillivray, 140 County Road

Anna Amiradaki, 20 Burr Ave.

Heidi Fanion, 1 Grant St.

Cara Starr Longo, 361 New Meadow Road

Sarah Kennedy, 5 Belvedere Ave.

Faiza Adnan, 11 Charles St.

Alicia Haas, Teed Ave.

Allison Clark, 5 Mathewson Road

Karen Occhialini, 5 Copper Kettle Lane

Victor Occhialini, 5 Copper Kettle Lane

Carissa Paup, 6 Sowams Road

Raymond Clark, 5 Mathewson Road

Kiela Daley, 7 Greenbrier Drive

William Jacobson, Hampden Meadows

Wendy Jacobson, Hampden Meadows

Brian Rua, 2 Deep Meadow Road

Leslie Lynne Saylor, 15 Meadowbrook Drive

Stefanie Caliri, 188 New Meadow Road

Frank Caliri, 188 New Meadow Road

Susan Grieve, 5 Christine Drive

Steven Grieve, 5 Christine Drive

Matthew Grieve, 5 Christine Drive

Michael Grieve, 5 Christine Drive

James Marshall, 4 Indigo Road

Lila Marshall, 4 Indigo Road

Calli Kwon, 11 Stanley Drive

James Kwon, 11 Stanley Drive

Laura Larrivee, 140 Promenade St.

Ursula Wade, 8 Ridgeland Road

Robert Star, 4 Carriage Trail

Jason Rahmani, 30 Linden Road

Tammie Guerra, 15 Bullock Ave.

Rob Gonsalves, 4 New Hampshire Ave.

Holly Gonsalves, 4 New Hampshire Ave.

Kaitlan Kyriakos, 15 Hilltop Ave.

Nicholas Kyriakos, 15 Hilltop Ave.

Stephen Hicks, 6 Alden Road

Hillary Hollis, 24 Meadowbrook Drive

Matt Hollis, 24 Meadowbrook Drive

Crystal Dabir, 5 Burr Ave.

Mike Laliberte, 97 Roffee St.

Monica Laliberte, 97 Roffee St.

Pam Roche, 3 Walker Farm Lane

Matt Roche, 3 Walker Farm Lane

Sharon Santos, 11 Western Ave.

Chris Poirier, 11 Chantilly Drive

Richard Kala, 5 Heritage Road

Amy Forbes, 11 Adams Point Road

Rebecca Kaplan, 36 Sweetbriar Road

Kellis Blanchet, 260 New Meadow Road

Jeff Blanchet, 260 New Meadow Road

Amanda Hope, 5 Deep Meadows Road

Deborah Shea, 3 Starbrook Drive

Robin Mulligan, 16 Woodland Road

Victoria Lambrozo, 130 County Road

Gina Pine, 479 New Meadow Road

Amy Curti, 5 Circle Drive

Alexia Taxiarchos, 5 George W Finnerty Road

Mary Grenier, 10 Watson Ave.

Megan Coleman, 210 Foote St.

Christopher Coleman, 210 Foote St.

Kimberly Hood, 85 Rumstick Road

David Hood, 85 Rumstick Road

Sara Catanzaro, 368 Rumstick Road

Jessica Liberatos, 4 Deep Meadow Road

Gerasimos Liberatos, 4 Deep Meadow Road

Pamela Van Ness, 30 Lillis Ave.

David Norton, 16 Thomas St.

Heather D Nelson, 5 Meadowbrook Drive

Christopher Gauthier, 5 Meadowbrook Drive

Colleen Dupre, 48 Latham Ave.

Jessica Brouillard, 78 Highland Ave.

Kip Godbout, 135 Ferry Lane

Kate Godbout, 135 Ferry Lane

Edward Bush, 69 Sowams Road

Kyeonghee Kim, 2 Mallard Cove Way

Kimberly Parker, 20 Albert Ave.

Jamie Jankowski, 381 Nayatt Road

Michelle Strauss, 381 Nayatt Road

Craig Van Ness, 30 Lillis Ave.

Jackie Orent, 11 Vialls Drive

Nancy Braga, 35 Charles St.

Kate Higginbotham, 42 Meadowbrook Drive

Sandy Russel, 28 Columbus Ave.

Corey Russel, 28 Columbus Ave.

Julie Romano, 9 Briarwood Drive

Peter Romano, 9 Briarwood Drive

Vanessa Marskalek, 14 Lamson Road

Jarred Marszalek, 14 Lamson Road

Kristie Feorce, 303 New Meadow Road

Kira Richardson, 61 Whipple Ave.

Cheryl Hosey, 307 New Meadow Road

James Hosey, 307 New Meadow Road

Renzo Arteta, 5 Heritage Road

Cynthia James-Ratcliffe, 1 Grassy Plain Road

Kevin Ratcliffe, 1 Grassy Plain Road

Raven James, 1 Grassy Plain Road

Thomas Grady, 3 Heritage Road

Rosemary Grady, 3 Heritage Road

Joanna Shields, 3 Kenmore Court

Sharon Sylvester, 3 Ronald Road

Sam Sylvester, 3 Ronald Road

George Promades, 332 Sowams Road

Gina Promades, 332 Sowams Road

George C. Promades, 332 Sowams Road

Bethany Aspinwall, 276 Narragansett Ave.

Joan Bergeron, 49 Shore Drive

Stephen Howe, 30 Burr Ave.

Eliza Lawson, 35 Priscilla Drive

Vanessa Sheehan, 35 Adelaide Ave.

Steve Sheehan, 35 Adelaide Ave.

Cindy Larson Moura, 6 Barneyville Road

Ed Moura, 6 Barneyville Road

Tom Rimoshytus, 1 Howard St.

Lauren Murphy, 71 Fales Ave.

Shannon Sassi, 76 Sowams Road

William Smith, 118 County Road

John Marshall, 424 Sowams Road

Holly Marshall, 424 Sowams Road

Danielle Kasvikis, 41 Clarke Road

Michelle Croteau Snow, 2 Sakonnet Drive

Jayne Kassel, 25 Anthony Road

Ritzy McCarthy, 69 Governor Bradford Drive

John McCarthy, 69 Governor Bradford Drive

Audrey McCarthy, 69 Governor Bradford Drive

Cheryl Abrevaya Weinstein, 19 Christine Drive