Residents urge pause on Central Elementary demolition; alumni group seeks revived Field Community Foundation

Karen Upson, a lifelong Brimfield resident and pastor at Brimfield Methodist Church, told the Brimfield Board of Trustees on May 14 that residents are organizing to halt planned abatement and demolition of Central Elementary School and are seeking a feasibility study and community input before the building is removed.

Upson said the Field Community Foundation, founded in 1988 with U.S. Department of Education grants in cooperation with Brimfield Township, Suffield Township and Field Local Schools, was dissolved years ago and that alumni and community members want it reinstated to coordinate programming across the townships and the school district. “There are very many groups of people very hurt by the idea that a building that could be used for community benefits, and students and schools is being taken down,” Upson said.

The concern centers on a March school board action Upson cited, saying she has minutes showing a contractor for abatement and demolition was hired at the March 10 meeting. Upson told trustees she does not know whether multiple bids were solicited, and she said the district has not published long-range plans for the 14-acre site. “They don’t know. It’s not been planned out,” she said, summarizing conversations she has had with school board members.

Upson described efforts by a Field Alumni Association to secure space inside the Central building for memorabilia and to maintain an alumni database; she said the association has been denied space by the school board for five years. She also said petition signatures are being collected to stop demolition and to request a feasibility study and community engagement before any final action.

Trustees and other meeting participants asked clarifying questions during the public-comment period but did not take formal action on the matter during the meeting. A trustee noted the township itself does not enforce high-grass or building maintenance matters in the same way a municipality might, and Upson and others discussed using social media and local postings to share accurate information with the community.

Why it matters: Central Elementary sits on roughly 14 acres that residents said could be repurposed for fields or other community uses; residents and alumni contend the building has local historic and educational value and want formal study and public input before demolition proceeds.

What trustees heard and did not decide: Upson asked trustees to request a feasibility study and community engagement from the school district. Trustees did not vote on any motion related to Central Elementary or the school board’s decision during the meeting; the topic was raised during the public-guest portion and public comment.

Next steps noted at the meeting: Upson said petitioning and outreach are underway and that residents intend to seek access to school board documents and meeting minutes for additional detail. Trustees suggested posting accurate information on official township channels and following up with the district for clarification.

Ending: The school board action that Upson cited—hiring a contractor and proceeding with abatement and demolition—was described as recorded in school board minutes; residents at the trustees’ meeting said they will pursue petitioning and requests for a feasibility study and public engagement before demolition moves forward.