Hancock and Granville students attend a one-room school located at the south end of Granville. At Town Meeting, Hancock residents, by a vote of 41 to 23, voted to shut the school and tuition students to other schools. Hancock has 252 registered voters.
Dan Perrara, chair of the Hancock School Board and the Village School Board, said that the issue has come up at each of the last three Town Meetings and has generated contentious discussion and close votes.
Tuitioning students to the Rochester school is more expensive than keeping the Village School open, by approximately $100 per household, Perrara said.
"I would prefer that The Village School stay open. It's the least expensive option for the town and the quality of education was in place and it provided kids with a great opportunity to be educated in their own community. Our board's budget, as we presented it, supported keeping the school open, he continued.
Hancock resident Kevin deMeurers feels strongly that the school should be kept open and is organizing a petition calling for reconsideration of the Town Meeting vote.
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