Bradley residents overwhelmingly decided to close their elementary school in a Monday vote.
The Viola Rand Elementary School will close at the end of this school year. On Monday, 140 people voted to close the school, while six people voted against the closure, Bradley Town Clerk April Dorr said.
The vote followed a decision from the Regional School Unit 34 board to close the school. RSU 34 serves Alton, Bradley and Old Town and has seen declining enrollment for years, which impacts how much money the district receives.
Bradley residents would have been on the hook for about $315,000 if they decided to keep the school open. The town council will decide what to do with the building.
Two pre-K classes remain in the Viola Rand School and those will move to the Alton elementary school next year. Only eight of the 32 students at the school this year are Bradley residents, Superintendent Matthew Cyr said previously.
In a message to families after the vote, Cyr thanked them for their “support, understanding, and engagement throughout this sensitive and difficult process.”
Discussions about closing the school started in 2022. RSU 34 worked to bring people on board with the change, even if they were sad about it.
The district has seen a significant decrease in elementary enrollment, with overall district numbers falling from 1,481 students in fall 2022 to 1,377 in fall 2024.