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Disappointing halt to effort

An announcement that ends a significant partnership is a major disappointment.

Last year, we hailed the two largest area school districts, Dunkirk and Fredonia, for working together on a combined preschool program that would be held at Wheelock school. By all accounts, there have been few, if any, complaints publicly about the program. There even appeared to be a new energy at the school since the program kicked off.

On Tuesday of last week, Fredonia schools Superintendent Paul DiFonzo made district board members aware there would not be a joint program next year. “If you actually go down and visit the program (at the Wheelock Primary School) while it’s in action, the Fredonia and Dunkirk students blend and work well together, and I think it’s a shame it’s coming to an end,” DiFonzo said. “We’ve really enjoyed working with the students being together and the teachers have done a fabulous job.”

It was an ambitious program, with the hope of bridging the Dunkirk-Fredonia divide that still exists at an almost extreme nature. It’s too bad one more year is not being considered.

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