MOORELAND HILL SCHOOL TO CLOSE
Mooreland Hill School in Berlin announced it will be closing on Aug. 31. The private school had been in operation for nearly 90 years. Devin Leith-Yessian, The Citizen
‘It will be missed greatly’ By Devin Leith-Yessian The Citizen
Just shy of its 90th anniversary, Mooreland Hill School will not be reopening its doors this fall. A statement from the private school’s Board of Trustees said the school will close on Aug. 31. “Proof of our success has been the continued acceptance of our graduates to the finest independent secondary schools in our region,” said President of the Board of Trustees Seth Brewer. “However, the demographics of our area and the costly economics of private secondary education have made it increasingly difficult to achieve the level of enrollment necessary to deliver on our mission in a financially responsible manner.”
Thursday, August 22, 2019
www.berlincitizen.com
Volume 22, Number 26
The school, which taught kindergarten through ninth grade, would have had around 30 students and 12 faculty members this year, which has been steady over recent years, said Marenda Stipzer, a member of the school’s Board of Trustees. “We've been here for almost 90 years. It’s a much-loved, family institution and we’re all very sad to see it closing. It will be missed greatly,” Stipzer said. She said the focus is on getting the school’s students and teachers situated at this time. All deposits and enrollment payments for the upcoming school year will be returned in full to families. Head of School Reed Rathgeber is helping students find placements in other area schools and new teaching opportunities for teachers.
The school was distinguished for its small classes, which allowed faculty to form bonds with each student and provide them with an education that allowed placement in private high schools. “I think it was the small, family atmosphere and the ability to give such a great, well-rounded education,” that set Mooreland apart, Stipzer said. Steve Johnson attended Mooreland from 1956 through 1958. He agreed that the intimate classes created a unique educational environment where teachers could tailor their pedagogy to best match their students. When asked how many students were in his classes, Johnson counted them off by name, more than 60 years later. See School, A15
Shortage of candidates for Board of Ed. By Devin Leith-Yessian The Citizen
fill out its three-year term, ending in 2022.
Only two candidates sought signatures and qualified to run on the Board of Education, leaving one seat unclaimed with the deadline having passed on Aug. 7.
Board of Education President Matthew Tencza and Jaymee Miller both acquired the necessary number of signatures to qualify to appear on the ballot to retain their seats.
According to the Town Clerk’s Office and the Town Charter, in the case of such a vacancy the board will appoint a member to fill the seat. That appointee will serve until the next municipal election, when the seat will once again go up for election to
Board member Jake Fisher did not file paperwork to run again, and the Town Clerk’s Office did not receive any submissions to begin collecting signatures by other individuals. Fisher was surprised that See BOE, A15
Kids do their part to help cops after motorcyclist flees By Devin Leith-Yessian The Citizen
Berlin police got some unexpected aid in their search for a motorcyclist who fled the scene of a crash, with three sketches given to officers by local children. “We haven’t had youth sketch artists before, but we’re thankful because it's gotten a lot of attention,” Berlin Deputy Police Chief Christopher Ciuci said. The incident occurred at
around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 13 when a motorcycle crashed into a guardrail in the area of 501 Berlin Turnpike. The motorcycle operator ran into the woods and evaded an extensive police search that included the use of police dogs. While officers were searching the area, three children approached and handed them the drawings, Ciuci said. “Witnesses, who were playing in the neighborSee Cops, A10