Dublin citizens took in a presentation Saturday morning about the town’s relationship with the ConVal School District. 

“That solution shouldn’t be that we pay more money to educate less students,” said Select Board member Carole Monroe to approximately 30 town residents who had gathered at the Dublin Community Center.

The informational meeting to acquaint attendees with the circumstances that prompted Dublin to seek a separation from ConVal came just over a week after town representatives presented their case to the state Board of Education in Concord.  Following that presentation, the board’s seven members voted unanimously to allow Dublin to put the matter of separating from ConVal before voters in March. If 50% of voters across the district vote in favor, or 60% in Dublin and 40% district-wide, the withdrawal will be approved.

Monroe was one of the town’s representatives who presented to the state board. Saturday’s presentation included information and input from members of the Dublin Education Advisory Committee. Slides offered information to residents on declining test scores of Dublin students once they begin attending South Meadow School and ConVal HIgh School, as well as the town’s financial share of support for the district. 

A graph showed student math scores dropping off in fifth grade, when most students transition from Dublin Consolidated School to South Meadow, and again in ninth grade when they move to the high school. Monroe acknowledged that standardized test scores are not entirely reliable measuring sticks of student learning. 

“I’m not suggesting that our teachers are not doing a good job,” Monroe said.

“If we can hold onto kids at DCS for two more years, we can enrich them and hold off the drop at the middle school,” said Blake Minkler of DEAC.

In the event of separation, DEAC Chair Jay Schechter was asked about the plan to tuition Dublin students into SMS and ConVal in light of the lower test scores reported there.

“Unfortunately, we haven’t come up with a viable alternative,” said Schechter. “We don’t have a lot of great options. We don’t have an education plan laid out.”

Fabiola Woods, a retired educator who spent 23 years in ConVal, asked about how education could improve with separation. 

“The rigor of curriculum at ConVal has diminished,” Woods said. “I haven’t seen that issue and how that will be addressed.”

“That’s curriculum -- we need to do it,” said Schechter. “We haven’t been able to do it yet.” 

DEAC member Blake Anderson said in the event Dublin is allowed to leave ConVal, July 1, 2026, would be the start date of the Dublin School District. 

“There’s a huge list of things to be done for that to happen,” Anderson said.

The financial dimension to Dublin being part of ConVal was also discussed. 

“Over a five-year period, the ConVal budget has gone up an average of 3.7% annually, and ConVal’s population has decreased 9% over the same period,” said Anderson.

Monroe explained that Dublin’s per student cost at ConVal is $37,000.

“Dublin pays 9.5% of the total ConVal budget but its students make up 7% of the population,” she said.

Schechter spoke to the Articles of Agreement which binds towns to the district.

“There’s no incentive for other towns to change the AoA because we’re paying for their students,” he said.   

Monroe also spoke about the possibility of a multimillion-dollar, 20-year bond next year to make improvements to ConVal High School’s Career and Technical Education Center and Lucy Hurlin Theatre.

“Now is the time,” said Monroe regarding a separation. “Due to the bond, per DEAC’s calculations, payments on that bond would be $275,000 a year from Dublin.” 

“It would be unthinkably expensive to leave after the bond is issued. It makes sense for other small towns to grab control of their schools.” added DEAC member Blake Minckler.

Minckler also commented on ConVal’s response to the request to withdraw.

“They had six months and produced a two-page report,” he said. “We had an 80-page report.”

“You really need to go to School Board meetings,” said Schecter. “What goes on there is strange.”

Resident Chris Sprague addressed the gathering following the presentation.

“It’s hard to look at these bullet points and not vote yes,” he said.

Monroe voiced support for the educators at DCS during this process.

“I hope they know we’re here to support them,” Monroe said.