Bridgeport parents voice skepticism about potential school merger

Parents in Bridgeport say they are deeply concerned about a proposal to merge Hall School into the nearby Edison School.
School officials tell News 12 Connecticut that they are discussing the possibility of closing Hall School and moving its 200 students to the Edison campus a half-mile away to save money.

The concerned parents say they love Hall School and have no complaints. Zakia Fearon tells News 12 Connecticut that her children’s grades improved when she moved them there, because their class sizes are smaller. Maxine Jackson, another Hall School parent, says the move would not benefit the kids.
"Because I am a substitute teacher and because I've been into many of these neighborhood schools that have merged with each other, and you have 27 to almost 30 children in one classroom for one teacher, it's absurd,” she says.
"We shouldn't have to look at closing schools, we shouldn't have to be cutting staff, we shouldn't be cutting from our classrooms. We need the money that our children are entitled to and we need it now,” adds Kate Rivera.
School Board member Maria Pereira says Edison School is in her district and "there are many studies showing that closing neighborhood schools has no positive impact on students, parents, staff, property values and neighborhoods."
John DiDonato of the Bridgeport Pubic School System told News 12 Connecticut, "While there has certainly been discussion over the past 10 years, and more recently, of consolidating Hall and Edison Schools, no final determination has yet been made yet."