To the Editor:

We the Student Council of Gorton Junior High think the recommendation of closing a junior high is unnecessary.  Having three junior highs will make more room if we convert to a 6-8 middle school in the near future. Only 17 percent of schools nationally are configured as 7-8. A national survey says that 65 percent of principals are in favor of the 6-8 configurations and Warwick is only one of three districts statewide that still has the 7-8 configurations. 

If full-time kindergarten is the way the state is looking to go, having a 6-8 configuration means more room for kindergarten classrooms in elementary schools.

Once we lose our community schools, a little bit of the community dies. Gorton has done so much since its origin in 1939 as a high school. This year we celebrated our 31st Gong Show. A scholarship fund has been started using money from the Gong Show in memory of the beloved George Schmeider who passed away this past year. Just to list a few other community activities we have participated in this 2012-2013 school year:

Feinstein canned food drive

Pennies for Patients

Rachel’s Challenge

Anti-bullying walk

We respectfully urge the School Committee to take the above into consideration before making a vote. Thank you. ARRGHH! 

The Gorton Student Council

Julia French,

President