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South Kingstown school committee votes to relinquish Wakefield Elementary to town; residents urged to press council
Summary
The South Kingstown School Committee voted to relinquish care, custody and control of Wakefield Elementary School to the town, prompting public pleas to the town council to preserve playgrounds, parking and the option to return the building to educational use.
The South Kingstown School Committee voted to relinquish care, custody and control of Wakefield Elementary School to the town after a public comment period in which neighbors urged the committee to delay the transfer.
Residents told the committee the Wakefield site and adjacent playground are important neighborhood assets and asked the district to pause the handoff so the town can consider preserving public space and reuse options. Superintendent James Pedraza recommended the transfer, saying the district does not foresee reopening the building for instruction given current enrollment and facilities.
The recommendation mattered to neighbors because the committee’s action moves the legal title and decision-making to the town council. “I asked the committee to postpone the…
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