Guilford To Vote On Middle School Students

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Voters in Guilford will decide Tuesday whether or not to discontinue the seventh and eighth grades at the Guilford Central School.

If the item passes, the town will pay tuition for its seventh and eighth graders to attend the Brattleboro Area Middle School.

Guilford Central School Principal John Gagnon says the decision will be tough. The town has long been proud of its own middle school programs.

But Gagnon says declining numbers led the school board to recommend the change. Enrollments are projected at seven students in the seventh grade, and 14 eighth graders for next fall.

Gagnon says social interaction is developmentally important for students for children in that age group.

"Another piece is improving the academic offerings for the children, thinking about electives like foreign languages, different computer courses, thinking about after school options for kids. We didn’t have enough kids last year to field a boys’ baseball team or a girls’ softball team and we still have that this year," Gagnon said. 

Gagnon says even without the cost of adding electives, Guilford will save money by sending students to Brattleboro.

Follow VPR’s coverage of Town Meeting Day 2013

 

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