This letter is in response to the overview of the multiple proposals recommending the closure of Mt. Abraham Union High School. It is striking to me that all these proposals prioritize keeping the existing elementary schools, at the expense of the local high school.

I am shocked that the idea of community connection these groups value so highly appears to end once their kids complete eighth grade. I wonder if the proposers have considered all the connections that have existed for years at Mt. Abraham Union High School? Are they aware of the shared activities, the camaraderie, and the community that exists among kids once they all attend the same school? They become teammates, not opponents.

As the parent of two Mt. Abe grads, and a long-time employee of the school, I have fond memories of the myriad events that took place at Mt. Abe when our kids went there. The local high school provided the opportunity for all five town families to come together. We were, and remain, one community united, not five divided. An Eagle Nation! In my estimation, all these proposals seek division, not unification.

I wholeheartedly believe that simply doing away with Mt. Abraham Union High School is an incredibly shortsighted idea. Not to mention, can 400-plus high school students just be placed on the open market? Would parents really be willing to drive their kids to other high schools? Has anybody considered that there is no bus that goes to any of the neighboring high schools and if there were, the associated logistics and costs? And what about the amount of time the kids would spend riding a bus?

Lastly, in a state that apparently values local control above all else, closing Mt. Abraham would fully relinquish educational control of five town high school students to other districts. It is hard to believe this is what the architects of these proposals could possibly want for the graduates of their coveted community schools.

Alan Kamman

Lincoln