The Conway School Board, by a 4-3 vote, approved the formation of a new committee to explore closing at least one school and potentially closing all three elementary schools in Conway.
Chairman Mike DiGregorio originally proposed the committee’s formation after board member Matt Stearns advised him that the old School Closure Committee was technically no longer in existence. Stearns and DiGregorio both argued their positions and ultimately DiGregorio’s new committee was formed. DiGregorio appointed the same members who served on the prior committee and also asserted that he would chair the new committee (which came to fruition).
The new committee, which some say is a rebranding of the old committee, has the following roster of voting members:
- Mike DiGregorio
- Randy Davison
- Amy Snow
- Bill Marvel – Budget Committee*
- Frank Jost – Budget Committee
Mike DiGregorio stated he wanted the new committee because he “never liked” the old committee name (which was the ad hoc Facilities Use Committee, amusingly F.U.C. for short). Others suggest that he was caught attempting to preserve the prior committee, and allowing it to continue working toward closing a school. Under the operating rules of the Board at the time, committees would dissolve after completing their work and delivering a final report, which was true of the prior School Closure Committee.
Once the technicality was exposed, DiGregorio acted in his capacity on the Board’s Policy Committee, making key changes to the Board’s rules of order. The changes dissolved the Board’s adherence to Robert’s Rules and adopted a simplified one-page list of rules. Under its new rules, the Board can act with much less restraint and has even broader freedoms. Following the changes, Chairman DiGregorio successfully reestablished the School Closing Committee.
Since its formation on August 14th, 2023, the School Closure Committee has met three times. It now meets weekly on Wednesdays at 5pm unless otherwise posted. Committee member Randy Davison, supported by Mike DiGregorio, suggested weekly meetings in order to work on an “aggressive timeline”. This urgency does not appear to be linked to solving any grave issue, and some suggest it is to create a recommendation for closures in time for budget season (November) this year.
The committee’s first meeting (minutes) was used to organize, and members spent some time broadly airing grievances about Conway’s schools. The second meeting on September 20th (minutes) was used to refamiliarize the group with data collected in 2015, which the committee said was “sufficient” to make a decision. Their most recent meeting on September 27th, 2023 (minutes) was used to conduct a walkthrough of the Kennett Middle School and the attached Conway Recreation Space. The objective of the walkthrough appears to have been to eyeball the space, and committee members spent time talking about the way things were. Some committee members attended the school in the 1960’s, 1970’s, and 1980’s.
Meetings are open to the public but are not recorded by Valley Vision. To truly understand the situation and its dynamics we recommend that the public attend meetings. The Support Conway Schools organization will endeavor to provide updates as quickly as possible for those who cannot attend.
A review of the August 14th, 2023 school board meeting minutes (excerpt below) or Valley Vision video archives supports the above statements.
*The Center Conway Fire District representative to the Conway Municipal Budget Committee is appointed by the Conway Municipal Budget Committee. It is not an elected position.