Number six school in Woodmere to close

Decision made at tense board meeting

By Michael Orbach

Issue April 3, 2009 / 9 Nissan 5769

The No. Six school in Woodmere will close in June.

The announcement was made March 23 at a meeting of the Lawrence school board. The reasoning behind the decision was not publicly discussed at the meeting, which was punctuated by bitter comments from members of the public.

Superintendent John Fitzsimons noted that the board was faced with a choice between closing the No. Four school, the No. Five, or the No. Six.

“We made it clear that no matter what decision they would make, we could make it work educationally,” Fitzsimons explained in a telephone interview. “If were so easy, that one [school] far outweighed the other, there wouldn’t be options.”

Dwindling enrollment in the Lawrence school system, decreasing more than two percent annually, prompted the decision.

“In light of what’s happening to us economically that’s the prudent thing to do,” said Fitzsimons. Even with the school closing, he predicted a two percent increase in the next tax levy.

Closing the school at 523 Church Avenue in Woodmere, where children from first to fifth grade are currently educated, is expected to save $1 million to $1.5 million per year. The decision to close the school was based on scheduled maintenance and upcoming repairs, student relocation and general community sentiment toward the school, among other factors, according to school board member Asher Mansdorf.

Community support for the No. Five school in Cedarhurst, Fitzsimons noted, was especially strong. While the No. Six building is the newest in the district, with the greatest number of amenities, Board President Murray Forman explained that needed repairs and maintenance were expected to be significantly greater than for the other two buildings.

“Obviously there are people who are upset about this and there are people who are encouraged by the fact that the board has a firm handle on the fiscal reality,” said Forman.

The decision took two years and each board member arrived at a conclusion based on information gathered during that time, Forman said.

“The board’s philosophy is that the maintenance and enhancement of programming is paramount. In order to achieve that, some of the only tools available [are] to not operate excess or under-utilized facilities,” Forman said. “That has been the strategy and that has worked. We’re very proud of the programming of the district and we’ve been able to accomplish that while maintaining the most fiscally responsible house on Long Island.”

At the meeting, Andrew Levey, a onetime candidate for the school board, referred to the board members as “pigs.” Levey, whose campaign for a seat on the board in 2007 drew charges of anti-Orthodox bigotry, and whose children attend the No. Six school, told The Jewish Star that the decision made no sense and that if a building needed to be closed, it should have been No. Five.

“In a perfect world, the members of the private school community that have pretty much taken over the Five Towns in the last 20 years, would actually look to try to integrate into the community, as opposed to taking it over for themselves which is what they’ve done,” said Levey.

Levey claimed that the No. Six school was closed because, “HALB wants the school,” an accusation that was refuted by both Fitzsimons and Forman.

“There are absolutely at this point no plans in place for the lease or disposition of the building,” Forman explained. “Ultimately the board will study the options and will exercise its fiduciary duty in terms of getting the highest value for the public schools for any excess assets.”

Fitzsimons said that if the district does need the building again in the future it could be reopened.

“It’s not like you’re selling or closing a house in the country. It’s a lengthy process.”