Recently, upon the recommendation of Superintendent Sara Ahern, the school board voted to study whether Davis Thayer should close. The school, which dates back to 1924, served as the old high school of Franklin and is located near the center of town. 

Why is this happening? Ahern stated, in a Wicked Local newspaper article, that “there are security and safety concerns, as the building is not constructed in a way consistent with security and safety features and construction found in more modern buildings.”

In addition to the safety concerns, the decreasing number of students enrolling is an issue. Because of students going to charter schools and private schools, Davis Thayer is getting less and less kids. The Davis Thayer population is the smallest of the all the public elementary schools in Franklin and the average class size at Davis Thayer is less than the average class size of all of the other public elementary schools.

“It feels pretty surreal knowing that a place I went to for five years of my life is going to be closed and gone soon”, shared Sarah O’Donnell, a senior at FHS and an alum of Davis Thayer.

When asking other FHS students how they feel about the school potentially closing, students seemed surprised and are sad at the thought of a local elementary school closing. The students that went to Davis Thayer feel especially nostalgic, as they remember walking the halls in their early years not too long ago. 

The Superintendent does not assume this study will be quick, in fact, it may take years. So, even though the change won’t be happening too soon, students in the Davis Thayer district may be attending another elementary school in the town in the future. With many students in this district close to Parmenter, Keller, or Oak Street, students may be placed in one of those schools.

No doubt, this decision will be difficult, however, when one door closes, another opens.