WHITINGHAM- Voters sent a decisive message on the future of education in the Deerfield Valley Wednesday, voting almost three to one to defeat a referendum question that would have dissolved the Twin Valley School District. Of the 411 voters who came out to the polls, 300 marked “no” to the ballot question asking if the town should “terminate the joint school agreement between the Whitingham Town School District and the Wilmington Town School District, effective June 30, 2010.” Just 110 ballots were cast in favor of the split – a number slightly lower than the 132 registered voters who signed the petition that initiated the vote.

The defeat came despite a last minute “get out the vote” push by proponents of the measure. Whitingham residents found hand-delivered flyers left at their mailboxes and driveways this week, listing a number of reasons to vote “yes” on the question.

The results closely mirrored a similar petitioned referendum in October 2006, which failed 272 to 127. In that vote, the number of votes cast in favor of the split was lower than the 144 signatures on the petition.

Wednesday’s vote followed a month of school board meetings to explore the financial and educational options that would be available to Whitingham residents if voters were to support the dissolution of the Twin Valley district. Last week, the board held two informational meetings on the proposal. More than 50 people attended the second meeting on the ballot question on Thursday, May 21, where voters on both sides of the question spoke out.

School board chair Seth Boyd reiterated his concern that the loss of the school would result in a loss of community, as Whitingham residents, as well as other Deerfield Valley residents, would no longer come together at sporting events and other school events, and school groups and teams would no longer participate in town events. Board member Cheree Dix said she had a different perspective as someone who grew up in a school choice town. “Being from Readsboro, I never looked at it as a loss of community,” she said. “I looked at it as a chance for parents to choose where their kids are educated.”

But selectboard member Karl Twitchell said the issue of community wasn’t only about the social fabric of the town, it was also about maintaining the Deerfield Valley as an economically viable community for local residents. He said a local school system was vital for attracting businesses and the year-round residents to work at them. “One of the factors in economic growth is the local school system,” he said.

Molly Corse was one of two students who spoke at the meeting, both asking voters to keep the Twin Valley district. Corse said the educational opportunities at Twin Valley schools were excellent, and the schools’ location within the community provided a safety net students wouldn’t have at other schools. “Everyone in the valley watches out for everyone else,” she said. “If we’re not in the valley, who’s going to watch out for us? I think the collaboration is one of the best educational options on the table.”

Sherry Adams noted that the district’s scores on the math and science sections of the New England Common Assessment Program standardized tests were lower than the statewide average. “If the NECAP scores aren’t important, then why do we have them?” she asked.

“We’re not satisfied with them either,” said board member Dwight Williams. “But the consensus is that it’s easier to improve the math program we have than to end the collaboration we have.”

Boyd said the scores were only one measure of the school’s success. “The NECAP system is very convoluted,” he said. “Any school, even the tuition schools you’re looking at, has room for improvement. All of the schools in our supervisory union met state standards. Some of the others didn’t.”

Whitingham parent Aimee Reed said she discovered that NECAP scores can be affected by factors other than a student’s proficiency in a particular field. “If a student has language issues, that can hold them back,” she said. “A student could be good in math, but his math scores are terrible. He couldn’t understand some of the instructions.”

Jon Gamache said he signed the petition after receiving information that turned out to be incorrect. “I’d like to speak on behalf of our children,” he said. “The education we receive is largely in the hands of parents. If you don’t like it, you have to meet with the school. If you don’t get what you want, keep going back until you get the education and services you need.”

Addressing petitioners’ concern that Whitingham will have to pay a portion of high school facility improvement costs, Gamache noted that tuition schools may also have future facility costs. “If you’re going to spend money, spend it locally,” he advised.

Former Whitingham School Principal John Doty said he was an advocate of small schools and the individual attention that students can get in smaller schools. He said there are more opportunities for students at small schools, and that more students are able to participate in extracurricular activities.

“After-school activities are part of what goes on at the school during the day,” Doty said. “That’s what makes a well-rounded person.”

Whitingham resident Deb Cox said that she was proud of how the community comes together to help others, and she said Whitingham and Wilmington have also come together through the joint school district. “That’s what has knit the fabric of our two towns together, along with the other sending towns,” she said. “We have all been woven together because of our schools.”

Summing up her view on the choice before voters, Dix said that a “yes” vote meant people would have options, and a “no” vote would limit students’ options. “And if it’s ‘no,’” she said, “I think we should suck it up and fix the (Twin Valley High School) building. I have no interest in sending my elementary kid out of town.”