CONWAY — Six months after agreeing voters should get to weigh in on possible closing one of the town's elementary schools, the Conway School Board won’t be bringing the topic to the polls after all.
With the district facing falling enrollment and rising costs, the board created a committee to explore closing a school, and in June voted 6-1 to put a non-binding warrant article on the warrant next April, asking voters if they support closing an elementary school.
kAm%96 3@2C5 925 A=2??65 E@ E:?<6C H:E9 E96 H@C5:?8 @7 E96 BF6DE:@? :? E96 >@?E9D E92E 7@==@H65 3FE 2AA2C6?E=J ?6G6C 8@E E@ E92E A@:?E]k^Am
kAmpE E96 s64] `a >66E:?8[ ?@E:4623=J >:DD:?8 H2D 2?J >6?E:@? @7 2 ?@?\3:?5:?8 2CE:4=6 @? 4=@D:?8 2 D49@@=]k^Am
kAmp? 6IA=2?2E:@? 42>6 7C@> 3@2C5 >6>36C y@6 |@D42 2E E96 D49@@= 4=@DFC6 4@>>:EE66VD s64] `b >66E:?8]k^Am
kAm“x E9:?< 2E E9:D A@:?E[ :E’D E@@ D@@? 3642FD6 H6 5@?’E 92G6 2?J 2?DH6CD[” 96 D2:5] “x >:DD65 E96 H@C< D6DD:@? E92E E@@< A=246 367@C6 E96 =2DE 3@2C5 >66E:?8 W@? }@G] agX] x E9:?< A2CE @7 H92E 42>6 @FE @7 E92E H@C< D6DD:@? :D E92E H6 5@?’E 92G6 6?@F89 :?7@C>2E:@? 2E E9:D E:>6 E@ >@G6 7@CH2C5]”k^Am
kAm|@D42 25565i “(6 5@?VE H2?E E@ ;FDE 92A92K2C5=J AFE D@>6E9:?8 @FE E96C6 @? E96 H2CC2?E] (6 H2?E E@ 36 23=6 E@ D2J E96D6 2C6 E96 C62D@?D H9J H6VC6 DF886DE:?8 E9:D] pE E9:D A@:?E[ H6 ;FDE 5@?VE 92G6 E92E] x H@F=5 C2E96C 6CC @? E96 D:56 @7 42FE:@? 2?5 H2:E 2 J62C 2?5 5@ :E C:89E E96?]”k^Am
kAm$FA6C:?E6?56?E z6G:? #:492C5 25565 E92E E96 3@2C5’D 2EE@C?6J C64@>>6?565 282:?DE AFEE:?8 E96 2CE:4=6 @? E96 H2CC2?E]k^Am
kAm“qFE E96C6’D 2 DE2?5:?8 >@E:@? 7C@> E9:D 4@>>:EE66 E@ 4=@D6 2 D49@@=[” D2:5 $p& h s:C64E@C @7 p5>:?:DEC2E:G6 $6CG:46D y:> w:==[ H9@ D:ED @? E96 4@>>:EE66] “%92EVD ?@E 366? C6D4:?565 @C C64@?D:56C65[ C:89En $@ E92E DE:== 6I:DED]”k^Am
kAm“%92E’D @?=J 2 C64@>>6?52E:@?[” D2:5 |@D42] “%9:D 3@2C5 :D ?@E 8@:?8 E@ 24E F?E:= :E 92D >@C6 :?7@C>2E:@?] %96 3@2C5 :D 36:?8 42FE:@FD 2?5 H2?ED E@ >2<6 DFC6 E92E 2== @7 E96 :’D 2C6 5@EE65 2?5 E’D 2C6 4C@DD65 367@C6 H6 4@>6 2?5 D2J E9:D :D H92E H6’C6 5@:?8]”k^Am
kAm|6>36CD @7 E96 4@>>:EE66 2C6 |:496==6 r2A@KK@=: 2?5 |@D42 @7 E96 D49@@= 3@2C5j 3F586E66CD uC2?< y@DE 2?5 (:==:2> |2CG6=j #:492C5j pDD:DE2?E $FA6C:?E6?56?E z25:6 (:=D@?j w:==j 2?5 AC:?4:A2=D p:>66 uC6496EE6 @7 !:?6 %C66 2?5 #:4< q:496 @7 z6??6EE |:55=6]k^Am
kAm%96 4@>>:EE66[ H9:49 92D >6E D:I E:>6D[ G@E65 b\`\` @? yF?6 a E@ 4=@D6 2? 6=6>6?E2CJ D49@@=] ~?=J E96 D49@@= 3@2C5 2?5 3F586E 4@>>:EE66 C6AC6D6?E2E:G6D 2C6 G@E:?8 >6>36CD]k^Am
kAmy@DE[ |2CG6= 2?5 |@D42[ E96 4@>>:EE66 492:C[ 4@?DE:EFE65 E96 >2;@C:EJ[ H9:=6 r2A@KK@=: 23DE2:?65 2?5 y6DD:42 (9:E6=2H[ H9@ =67E E96 3@2C5 :? yF=J[ H2D @AA@D65]k^Am
kAm|2CG6= 2?5 y@DE @C:8:?2==J ?2>65 !:?6 %C66 2D E96 @?6 E@ 4=@D6[ H9:=6 |@D42 D2:5 :E D9@F=5 36 y@9? w] uF==6C] qFE :? >:5\yF=J[ |2CG6= D:565 H:E9 |@D42]k^Am
kAmQ|J 49@:46 @7 !:?6 %C66 H2D AC6=:>:?2CJ[” |2CG6= D2:5] “(6 ?6G6C 8@E 5@H? E@ 2 566A 5:D4FDD:@?[ 2?5 E96 =:>:E2E:@?D @? !:?6 %C66’D H2E6C 2?5 D6AE:4 DJDE6>D >:89E 92>A6C 2 =2E6C 6IA2?D:@?] %96 EC277:4 AC@3=6> 2E E96 |:== $EC66E :?E6CD64E:@? 2=D@ DECF4< >6 2D >@C6 D:8?:7:42?E E92? 2E y@9? uF==6C]”k^Am
kAmw6 25565i “x? E9:?<:?8 @FE H92E >:89E 92AA6? 564256D 7C@> ?@H[ :E @44FCC65 E@ >6 E92E y@9? uF==6C H@F=5 36 H92E >@DE A6@A=6 E@52J H@F=5 4@?D:56C 2?4:6?E] p55 E@ E92E E96 8C62E6C ?F>36C @7 DEF56?ED H9@ H@F=5 36 27764E65 3J E96 C6=@42E:@? @7 !:?6 %C66[ 2?5 y@9? uF==6C D66>D 2 36EE6C 49@:46 WE@ 4=@D6X] xE’D 2=>@DE 46CE2:?=J H@CE9 4@?D:56C23=J >@C6 :? E6C>D @7 C62= 6DE2E6 G2=F6]”k^Am
kAm!:?6 %C66 @A6?65 :? `hh_[ H9:=6 y@9? uF==6C 2?5 r@?H2J t=6>6?E2CJ 52E6 324< E@ `hdf]k^Am
kAmr=@D:?8 2 D49@@= H@F=5 D2G6 E96 5:DEC:4E FA E@ S`]a >:==:@? E@ DE2CE[ 2?5 E96 D2G:?8D H@F=5 :?4C62D6 2??F2==J[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 5:DEC:4E @77:4:2=D]k^Am
kAmw:== H@?56C65 :7 E96 4@>>:EE66’D @C:8:?2= >@E:@? E@ 4=@D6 2 D49@@= “D9@F=5 36 C64@?D:56C65 2?5 E96? E23=65[” F?E:= E96 3@2C5 86ED E96 :?7@C>2E:@? Q:E D2JD :E ?665D” E@ >2<6 2 564:D:@?]k^Am
kAm“%9:D 4@>>:EE66 42? >2<6 2?J >@E:@?D E96J H2?E[ 3FE :7 E96 r@?H2J $49@@= q@2C5 5@6D?VE 5@ 2?JE9:?8 H:E9 :E[ :E’D >@@E[” |@D42 D2:5]k^Am
kAm“(96C6 x’> D:EE:?8[ :7 E96 564:D:@? 92D 2=C625J 366? >256 3J E9:D 4@>>:EE66[ H9J 2C6 H6 4@?E:?F:?8 E@ >66En” 2D<65 w:==]k^Am
kAm“p7E6C E96 564:D:@? H2D >256[ :E H2D 564:565[ C:89E=J D@[ E92E WE96 D49@@= 3@2C5 ?66565X >@C6 :?7@C>2E:@?[” |@D42 C6A=:65] “%96 r@?H2J $49@@= q@2C5 5:5 ?@E H2?E E@ >@G6 7@CH2C5 H:E9 2 C64@>>6?52E:@? 7C@> E9:D 4@>>:EE66 2E E96 E:>6 E92E E96 C64@>>6?52E:@? H2D >256]”k^Am
kAm“x7 E96 r@?H2J 3@2C5 D2:5 E96J ?665 >@C6 :?7@C>2E:@?[ E96? E96 r@?H2J 3@2C5 D9@F=5 86E E92E :?7@C>2E:@?[” w:== D2:5]k^Am
kAm|@D42 D2:5 E96 3@2C5 C64@?G6?65 E96 25 9@4 4@>>:EE66 E@ ECJ E@ 82E96C :E]k^Am
kAm“%92E 5@6D?VE >2<6 D6?D6[” D2:5 w:==] “*@F E9C66 W86DEFC:?8 E@ |@D42[ y@DE 2?5 |2CG6=X 925 6?@F89 :?7@C>2E:@? E@ >2<6 2 564:D:@?[ 2?5 J@F >256 2 564:D:@?] }@H :7 E96 r@?H2J $49@@= q@2C5 5:5?VE E9:?< E96J 925 6?@F89 :?7@C>2E:@?[ E92EVD ?@E J@FC AC@3=6>[ C:89En”k^Am
kAm|@D42 D2:5i “%96 D49@@= 3@2C5 :D 8@:?8 E@ 36 E96 F=E:>2E6 2C3:E6C 2?5 564:56 H92E :E H2?ED E@ 5@[” 255:?8[ “xE’D @3G:@FD=J ?@E 8@:?8 E@ 92AA6? @? E9:D H2CC2?E] x’== 8@ @FE @? 2 =:>3 2?5 D2J x 5@?’E E9:?< E92E 2 564:D:@? :D 8@:?8 E@ 36 >256 3J E9:D 4FCC6?E D49@@= 3@2C5]”k^Am
kAm“|J H:==:?8?6DD E@ <:?5 @7 7@==@H 2=@?8 H:E9 E96 D49@@= 3@2C5VD 56=2J :D 4@>>@?=J 8C@F?565 >@C6 @? 2 762C E92E :7 E9:D 4@>>:EE66 5:DD@=G6[D E96 :562 H:== 5:6[” D2:5 |2CG6=]k^Am
kAmuC6496EE6 C642==65 E96 3@2C5’D yF?6 G@E6 E@ A=246 2 D49@@= 4=@DFC6 2CE:4=6 @? E96 pAC:= H2CC2?E]k^Am
kAm“w2D E96 3@2C5 G@E65 E@ C6D4:?5 E92E @C E2<6 255:E:@?2= 24E:@?n” D96 2D<65]k^Am
kAm“yFDE 4@>>F?:42E:@?\H:D6[ x E9:?< E96C6 2C6 2 =@E @7 A2C6?ED @FE E96C6 <:?5 @7 E9:?<:?8 E92E E9:D pAC:= 52E6 :D 8@:?8 E@ AC@G:56 D@>6 D@CE @7 5:C64E:@? @C 24E:@?] p?5 :7 E92EVD ?@E E96 42D6[ x ;FDE E9:?< :EVD :>A@CE2?E E92E 86ED >256 AF3=:4]”k^Am
kAm|@D42 D2:5 96 H@F=5 =@@< E@ 9:D 4@==628F6D E@ C6D4:?5 E96 ?@?\3:?5:?8 2CE:4=6 2E :ED y2?] h >66E:?8]k^Am
kAm“tG6? :7 E96 3@2C5 C6D4:?5D :E[” D2:5 #:492C5[ “:E 4@F=5 2AA62C 2D 2 4:E:K6?’D A6E:E:@?65 2CE:4=6 :7 D@>6@?6 H2?E65 E@ 5@ E92E]”k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.