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WEM board rejects on-site town meeting about possible Morristown school closure
Summary
The WEM Board defeated a motion to hold an on-site town meeting in Morristown to discuss a possible building closure; two board members voted for the meeting while five opposed. Community members had urged the board to consider consolidation into one Waterville site.
The Waterville-Elysian-Morristown (WEM) School Board voted down a motion to schedule an on-site town meeting in Morristown to precede any vote on a possible closure of the Morristown school building. The motion, made by Board Member Jeff Stangler and seconded by Jon Bakken, failed when five members voted against and two members voted for the proposal.
Community members had raised concerns and questions earlier in the meeting about the district potentially moving all students into a single site in Waterville. Visitors who addressed the board included Jill Vollbrecht, Nick Morris, Paige Morris, Tim Flaten and Linda Vollbrecht, who spoke during the public comment period about the implications of consolidation for Morristown families and students.
Board members who supported the on-site meeting said they wanted a direct community discussion in Morristown before any formal decision; members who opposed the motion did not accept adding that step at this time. The minutes record that Bakken and Stangler voted for the meeting; the motion did not have sufficient support to proceed.
The board took no formal vote on closing any building at the May 19 session; the issue remains under discussion with community interest expressed and no next steps scheduled in the minutes.
