Ambler Community Discusses How to Save Mattison Avenue Elementary

Parents and community members met last week at Ambler's Borough Hall to discuss the potential closure of Mattison Avenue Elementary.

Rich Palumbo, an Ambler resident that has been named to the Wissahickon School Board's Community Input Group, said the board has not been clear about the rational to close Mattison to date. However, Mattison Avenue Elementary, he said, is not an issue of the Community Input Group, which was created for the board to hear community feedback on the administrative facilities recommendations.

Palumbo said the focus of the school board is that enrollment projections are down or flat over the next 10 years and the want and need of a new high school.

"It's nice to have a new thing," he said, "[But we] need to make sound decisions."

Palumbo continued that he understands the need for a pool and community space at the high school, but has concerns that closing Mattison Avenue Elementary and building a new high school has the potential for increased taxes for the district residents, and the potential for redistricting in the elementary schools across the district.

Joe Honeycutt, a parent of Mattison Avenue Elementary students, and an Ambler resident, said the board has been told it can borrow between $100 and $120 million to cover the expansion. And, because the district has the ability to borrow, they don't have to put out a referendum across the district.

"From a budgetary standpoint, [there's] comfort in knowing you have … the ability to borrow," said Honeycutt, but he continued that it doesn't mean you have to borrow the maximum limit.

Sandra Honeycutt, also a parent of Mattison Avenue Elementary students, and an Ambler resident,  told the group gathered that the board has said one of the issues is the emotional toll and achievement drop on the low income, underserved and minority families as they move from Mattison Avenue Elementary to Shady Grove Elementary after 3rd grade.

However, she added that the same achievement drop is not seen in the same group in the transition from Shady Grove to the Middle School.

Sandra said she spoke to a group of minority families if they felt an emotional toll as their children moved from Mattison to Shady Grove, and the parents said yes, because at the larger schools, the families felt left out and isolated and the families told her that no one at the larger schools are helping the families with the transition.

Tara Graefe, the Mattison Avenue Elementary Home and School Association President, explained why closing Mattison Avenue Elementary is not only bad for Ambler residents, but bad for all parents with children in elementary schools. Not all the Mattison students will fit into one of the other schools, which means there will likely be redistricting. The elementary school that a child is in this year may not be the same school they are in next year.

"[The district will ned to] reshift everything to make room for our students," said Graefe.

There will be two public hearings that will focus on Mattison Avenue Elementary, one on Oct. 1 and the second on Oct. 8, both at 6:30 at the high school auditorium.

"Encourge [your] friends and neighbors…to be at that meeting," said Palumbo.

The CIG meets the first and third Thursday of the month at 6:30 p.m., at the district administrative offices and meetings are open to the public.