I just read about the town of Hadley exploring ideas in what to do with the Russell School. The latest proposal is to sell or lease to a condominium developer for private housing.
Personally I think it would be a shame and a mistake to allow this special town resource, in the center of Hadley’s municipal heart, to be given over to a private company.
I propose the town explore state, county, municipal and charitable funds to build an early childhood development center.
As stated by Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child: The science of early brain development can inform investments in early childhood. These basic concepts, established over decades of neuroscience and behavioral research, help illustrate why child development — particularly from birth to five years — is a foundation for a prosperous and sustainable society.
Imagine a center aimed at building this societal bedrock in the midst of Hadley! I would propose that the center offer opportunities to children and families outside the town, thus moving funding beyond the municipality, as stated above.
Once built, the center could be funded by a yearly sliding scale membership per child, public funds, and private fundraising. The center could also tap into the large amount of university and graduate students, as well as high schoolers in the area looking for practical experience in this field, as well as add to the knowledge base of this oft undervalued aspect of our society.
With the size of the building the services could host a large number of children, and address a wide range of developmental areas. As we move forward we should foster spaces that serve the greater community over the benefit of small groups of investors.
With the right vision and work we could restore this historic space in Hadley, and the Russell School could continue its original goal of educating our youth.
Lars Patenaude
Hadley
