To the editor:

I enjoyed your important article on the decision of the Suffolk City School Board and its new superintendent, Dr. Deran Whitney, to close two low-performing schools, one of which has a low enrollment and the highest utility cost per square foot of all city schools.

It is important for public education to be efficient, to produce the best results in student achievement at a competitive price.

It is always difficult to close a school in any city or county, because those whose children attend it want it to continue to be in the neighborhood. But part of the beauty of this decision is that the students who attended these low-performing schools can now theoretically be exposed to new teaching teams and administrators, who may be able to overcome poor parenting and improve the students’ ability to learn and be competitive in life.

In my opinion, the School Board and superintendent are to be congratulated for making a selection based on schools with low performance and high cost.

The Suffolk News-Herald is to be congratulated for reporting those critical facts in its story.

John Newhard

Suffolk