WARWICK, R.I. -- Students and parents cheered Tuesday night as a somber School Committee voted to put off a decision on closing Gorton Junior High School until the district has a better idea of its educational goals for the future.
The 4-to-1 vote, with Chairwoman Bethany Furtado dissenting, caps recent weeks of upheaval as the public has fought the school administration and a special study committee's recommendation that Gorton be closed.
School Committee Board member Karen Bachus made the motion to table any action on Gorton until the district's long-range planning committee has reported back with "viable" options for the future -- no later than January 2014.
Even with further study, the district likely faces closing a school, Bachus said. She also warned that the price of not closing a school this year will mean large sacrifices for all teachers and students.
Those recommending the closing have said that the cash-strapped school district needs to operate as efficiently as possible for all students and, with steadily declining enrollment, cannot afford to operate three junior high schools.
Opponents have contended that the school administration rushed the study and that it makes no sense to shut a school while the district is still deciding whether it will implement all-day kindergarten classes or transition to a middle-school model.
Initially published at 8:41 p.m. and updated 12:01 a.m.