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Effort to force new vote on West Springfield school closure, potential ballot question approaches deadline

An aerial view of the Mittineague Elementary School in West Springfield, Massachusetts
West Springfield Public Schools
/
Town of West Springfield
An aerial view of the Mittineague Elementary School in West Springfield, Massachusetts

An effort to have officials in West Springfield, Massachusetts, reconsider a plan to close a local elementary school is entering the final stretch.

By a vote of 4-2 in January, West Springfield's school committee opted to relocate students at the Mittineague Elementary School amidst a broader effort to redraw school boundaries and build a new facility.

According to District 2 Councilor Michael LaFlamme, whose district includes Mittineague, some local families felt blindsided by the move and have been collecting signatures to have the committee reconsider its vote — and potentially put the matter on the ballot.

"Even people that maybe think the school should close believe that this is such a big decision and such a change in direction of our school system that it's a question that should go on the ballot this November," LaFlamme told WAMC.

161 students were enrolled at the school as of 2022. Locals hoping to submit their petition have until Thursday afternoon to gather 2,414 signatures.