Willett School Closing Next Year Not a Sure Thing as School Committee Debates Postponement-November 5, 1979

Former Committeeman Thomas DiFrancia Attacks Board Hesitation on Neighborhood School Closure

If the decision to close the Willett School in June is delayed a year or two, “Then I have a campaign issue,” Thomas DiFrancia said last week. Regardless, he said, “I will run” in the April election for one of the three school board seats.

The ex-school committeeman insisted, “There are no legitimate reasons – no sound, legitimate education reasons” – not to close the Willett in June. DiFrancia was asked to comment about some doubts revealed last Wednesday regarding the school committee commitment to close the Willett in 1980 despite Supt. Louis J. Taris‘s recommendation to do so.

Defeated in April by Richard Joseph and a strong pro-school coalition ending his seven-month stint, fiscal conservative DiFrancia still monitors many school board sessions. “I think he’s grandstanding and I think he’s going after votes,” DiFrancia said of Joseph M. Pentowski, who expressed doubts last week about sticking to the 1980 closing. Charles C. Saraca, another committeeman with second thoughts now, is “groping for more answers,” DiFrancia interpreted, adding, “I don’t think he’s about to change his position.”

Joseph and William F. Egan are two other committee votes the Willett School faction is counting on to save their neighborhood school. But, DiFrancia said, Joseph’s position is not well-defined yet. Egan, of course, dissented in the 6-1 vote last January to close the Guild School in 1979 and the Willett a year later. Pressure to keep the Willett open, DiFrancia claims, comes from neighborhood fear of what might go in an empty school. “They’re scared what it might do to their real estate values,” he maintained.

Pentowski, whose term expires in April, insists his motivation is education and is “politically risking my standing” in other districts which do not have the same stake in the issue. Postponing the closing a year or two, Pentowski explained, will allow time for the larger upper elementary grades to graduate to junior high and be easier both on regular and special services teachers.

He is not challenging Taris’ recommendation, Pentowski said, but “I want to be very sure.” Asked his opinion of the possible school reconsideration Wednesday, Allan D. Howard of the finance commission took a moderate position. Enrollment and pupil-teacher ratio, Howard said, should govern whether another school is closed.

The big savings realized is in the number of teachers dropped, not just closing a building, Howard said. “I don’t want us bursting at the seams,” said Howard, the father of three school-age children and previous FinCom chairman. “On the other hand, I don’t want a school half-empty.” Peter Bamber, new FinCom chairman, could not be reached for comment.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger