North School – The Talk of the Town

It’s been closed down for several years. The playground and soccer field however, are used on just about a daily basis by North Springfield and Springfield residents. Now the school board wants to unload the property, possibly to a developer.

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North School – The Talk of the Town
BY BARBARA KENDALL The Shopper

I attended my first ever School Board meeting on Tuesday, September 8, 2009. I didn’t know what to expect and was rather intimidated by all the suits around me.

I paid close attention to everything that was said. However, in looking over my notes after the meeting I realized one topic has dominated the meeting and had kept my pen flying across the paper of my notebook: North School.

North School is located in North Springfield. It’s been closed down for several years. The playground and soccer field however, are used on just about a daily basis by North Springfield and Springfield residents.

The school board has talked in the past about selling the school and property. As you can imagine there are several residents in both towns that disagree with this proposal. They fear that the school will be destroyed and the land will be developed taking away the only recreation area - to the best of my knowledge - that North Springfield has.

The property for the school and recreation area were donated years ago by Carl Parker and his family. The school was built in 1909 and celebrates its centennial this year.

Jean Willard and a group pf eight others collectively known as the North School Recreation Park Project Committee have fought to preserve the integrity of North School as a whole. The building itself has recently been used by the school district for storage. They do allow Jean and her group permission every so often to open the school up for tours.

The town of Springfield and the Parks and Recreation Department over the years have maintained the grounds of the school. The cost to maintain the grounds and other bills incurred by North School it was agreed need to be looked into as no one at the time could come up with a figure.

The school board agreed that it would like to see North School and its recreation areas kept in tact but that the board was not prepared to put any money into doing so. Larry Kraft pointed out that, “the school board in not in the business of owning property. We’re hear to educate our children.”

According to North School committee member Edwin Fransen a representative from the Vermont Division of Historical Preservation has visited North School. That representative stated that the school would qualify for historical preservation grants and status but not while owned by the school board.

The logical solution then seems to be selling or donating North School and its property to the town of North Springfield or Springfield with the stipulation that the building be deemed a historical landmark and the recreational areas remain as is. Fransen said that the town wants no part of the schoolhouse or the land. The town would consider taking over the playground and upper field thus splitting the property in two.

Jeanice Garfield of the school board suggested that the North School committee apply for non-profit status and look into buying the building and property themselves.

The North School committee hold meetings on the first Monday of each month. The meeting is held at the garage-sized concrete building to the east side of the schoolhouse. They start promptly at 6:30 pm and anyone is welcome to attend.

North School is clearly not without options. It’s also clear that it at some point will be sold in order to survive. The question is... to whom?