Did ancient grudges keep Hampden from doing the right thing?

Date: 10/27/2016

This week, Chris Goudreau and I tag-teamed a story on the proposed merger of the Wilbraham and Hampden middle schools in order to pool resources and ensure a better education for the towns’ students in light of decreasing enrollments and increasing demands.

I went to the Wilbraham Town Meeting, while Chris went to Hampden’s Town Meeting. I was done in less than an hour, while Chris was not.

In Wilbraham, two people asked questions and no one rose to speak either in favor or against the measure. The vote was overwhelmingly in approval of the merger. I was done within an hour.

Chris was not. There were many people who spoke about the merger.

Chris told me deep-seated rivalries are part of the reason that Hampden voters rejected the proposal. I had no idea Hampden residents had issues with Wilbraham, but apparently many of them do.

Local history should be considered here. Hampden was part of Wilbraham until 1878 when a split created two separate communities.

Hampden has a population of just over 5,000 people, while Wilbraham has a population close to 15,000.

Chris also explained to me that Hampden parents have been concerned about equity between the two middle schools and that the Thornton W. Burgess Middle School has had a greater struggle.  There have been concerns that if the Hampden school closes there might be a negative effect on property values.

There have been incidences in the past of bullying by Wilbraham kids who call Hampden students “farmers” that have further flamed emotions, Chris added.    

I will never understand why in 2016 people view the neighboring community in a way that should have disappeared with the 19th century. Neither Hampden nor Wilbraham are cut off from the rest of the country deep in some mountains. In a matter of minutes residents can be in the fourth largest city in New England.

I spent my high school and college years living in Granby, so I understand the challenges of living in a former agricultural community that has evolved into a post-WWII white flight suburban town. I comprehend these communities are completely dependent on property tax as a revenue stream and do not have the tax diversity of a larger community.

At the same time, these towns struggle to make ends meet with state and federal mandates.

A few years ago, there was an effort to create a regional school district for Granby and South Hadley, which is larger and like Wilbraham, has a more diverse tax base. Granby voters were in favor, while South Hadley voters rejected it.

It made no sense in that case and the actions of Hampden voters don’t either.

Having a unified middle school was the way for both communities to control education costs and have the resources to meet the standards being imposed by state officials.

What is more important – providing the best public education you can to children or keeping up an ancient grudge?

The man who has the toughest job in both towns is School Superintendent  Albert Ganem Jr. He now, along with the principals and teachers, must make the current arrangement work. God bless them. They’ll need it.

It’s a shame that voters in Hampden rejected this step forward, which would have acknowledged the acceptance of a solution to a serious problem.

The question they will face is “Now what?”