Chestertown town council members agreed on Monday to draft a letter to Kent County Superintendent of Schools Karen Couch to call for the exclusion of Garnett School from a recently proposed county school consolidation.
With the support of the board of education, Couch went on record in August saying that one of the five county schools needed to be closed to meet future budgetary challenges and consistently lowering enrollment.
Ward 2 Councilwoman Linda Kuiper cited several reasons for the continued operation of the school. Kuiper, a volunteer at the school, has also attended focus groups considering the matter. She said that Garnett has a long history in the community, is also a crisis evacuation center, could cost more to transport Chestertown students to other schools, and being located in the county seat offers students more access to services and activities.
With consultants in place to work with the school board, parents await an update on the targeted closure: Chestertown, Galena, Millington, Rock Hall or Worton.
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