WHITINGHAM-Tempers flared over two facilities proposals Tuesday evening, prompting one Twin Valley School Board member to storm out of the meeting in anger.

The board was discussing a draft of about 63 questions and answers regarding two facilities proposals, one to renovate the current Twin Valley High School, and the other to consolidate the two towns’ elementary schools. Under the consolidation plan, elementary students from the two towns would attend Deerfield Valley Elementary School, the high school would move to the Whitingham School facility, and the current high school building would be closed.

The beginning of the discussion may have foreshadowed the tension that would erupt later in the evening. Board members appeared to have a difficult time agreeing on how to proceed. Board member Jason Crawford noted that some of the questions were argumentative; some of the answers included opinion, rather than fact, and there was no delineation between renovation questions, consolidation questions, and general questions. “I’d hate to see this go out to voters all jumbled into one bee’s nest,” he said. “I’d like to see a section with FAQs on renovation, another with FAQs on consolidation.”

The discussion circled the table for several more minutes before board members agreed to categorize the questions as they reviewed them.

Whitingham School Board Chair Seth Boyd said opinionated answers should be left out of the FAQs, and saved for discussions at upcoming informational meetings. “If we include our opinions, there might be five or six different opinions if you go around this table.”

“I’m not sure I’m 100% in agreement,” said board member Tom Manton. “We might get four people at a meeting, this is going out to 2,500 people. This is going to drive how people answer on the questionnaire when they come to vote at Town Meeting.”

“We can’t give our opinions,” said board member Jack Kincella. “This has to be about what the public wants to do. If we try to bring our opinion into this too much, it’s going to be a boondoggle.”

Board members found some of the questions and answers to be straightforward enough, such as “How will the old Wilmington High School be used (if voters choose the consolidation)?”

“You could make a great car dealership out of it,” joked Crawford.

The board also pondered the question of transportation. The draft FAQ suggested the proposed consolidation would add about 15 minutes to the transportation time for Whitingham students going to Wilmington, and Wilmington students going to Whitingham. But Crawford pointed out that the answer assumed that the current high school building in Wilmington would continue to act as a transportation hub. “What if it’s gone?” he asked. “If I buy it and put a Toyota dealership in there, you’re out of luck.”

After some discussion on the issue, board members agreed to take a closer look at transportation routes, noting that some students in either town would spend more time on buses.

But board members also found disagreement on what constituted fact, and what was opinion. Manton objected to an answer that suggested the consolidation would increase academic offerings. Part of the proposal includes a tech building at the high school in Whitingham that would offer industrial arts and other tech courses. “That’s where we get into trouble,” Manton said. “We promised Twin Valley would save money and you still hear that on the street today.”

“And it did save money,” said TVHS Ed Metcalfe. “But you can’t show it to people,” Manton said.

TVHS Principal Frank Spencer said the primary goal of elementary consolidation, like the Twin Valley consolidation, should be to improve education. Several other board members said they couldn’t imagine a scenario in which education wouldn’t be improved by the consolidation. “Then what happens when we don’t show improvement?” Manton asked

“We will!” said board member Jack Kincella.

After another round of assurances from other board members, Manton signaled that he had had enough of the discussion, and rose to leave. “Okay, fine!” he said. “If this is the way it’s going to go, if everyone is just going to shout me down, I’m out of here. I’m done! You guys do it however you want.”

“Oh, don’t be a baby,” said Metcalfe. “We’ve already changed half of this to accommodate you.”

“If you disagree with us, we can’t ask you why?” said Swanson, incredulously.

Manton waved his hand in dismissal and stormed out.

Board members Dennis Richter and Crawford had left earlier in the meeting, leaving only the Whitingham representatives and Swanson to debate the questions. The board continued for a short time before deciding that the rest of the questions required the input of the full board.